Publish Subscribe Architecture for Data Center Configuration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Configuring and managing data centers is complex, time-consuming, and costly, with increased likelihood of errors due to manual intervention, making current automated functionalities unsustainable for large-scale operations.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a publish/subscribe architecture utilizing producers and consumers with Sources and Sinks abstraction, enabling self-service onboarding, global visibility, and event-driven mechanisms to automate configuration and management across clusters, leveraging platforms like Apache Kafka for efficient data distribution and access control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual configuration and management methods are used, then flexibility and control are maintained, but complexity, time consumption, and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration efficiencyVSAvoidmanagement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service configuration where the management platform automatically discovers, configures, and manages data center resources without manual intervention. The platform autonomously performs tasks such as resource provisioning, configuration deployment, and status monitoring, eliminating the need for manual configuration while maintaining system control and reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary configuration actions by pre-defining configuration templates, policies, and parameters. Before actual deployment, the platform prepares configuration packages, validates compatibility, and stages resources in advance, enabling rapid automated provisioning when resources are needed while reducing on-site complexity and time consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automated functionality is implemented, then efficiency improves, but manual initiation and management requirements persist

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation efficiencyVSAvoidfull automation level
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms where the management platform continuously monitors resource status, configuration states, and operational metrics. This feedback enables the platform to automatically detect changes, trigger appropriate automation workflows, and adjust configurations in real-time without manual initiation, achieving full automation through event-driven responses and closed-loop control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual mechanical operations with automated software-based control mechanisms. Configuration management, resource provisioning, and system monitoring are entirely automated through software agents and orchestration platforms, eliminating the need for manual initiation while maintaining complete automation capability through programmable workflows and intelligent decision-making algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If global data center management is implemented, then operational visibility and control improve, but error likelihood increases due to complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglobal visibilityVSAvoiderror rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates and maintains identical configuration copies across multiple data centers through template-based replication. Configuration packages, policies, and parameter sets are standardized and replicated consistently across global locations, ensuring operational visibility and control while reducing errors through configuration standardization and automated consistency validation across all sites.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11579940B2Techniques and architectures for managing global installations and configurations
Publication Date: 2023.02.14 SALESFORCE INC
  • US11579940B2 patent drawing
  • US11579940B2 patent drawing
  • US11579940B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A publish and subscribe architecture can be utilized to manage records, which can be used to accomplish the various functional goals. At least one template having definitions for managing production and consumption of data within an unconfigured group of computing resources is maintained. Records organized by topic collected from multiple disparate previously configured producers are utilized to initiate configuration of the unconfigured group of computing resources. Records within a topic are organized by a corresponding topic sequence. A first portion of the computing resources are configured as consumers based on the at least one template. The consumers to consume records at a pace independent of record production. A second portion of the computing resources are configured as producers based on the at least one template. The producers to produce records at a pace independent of record consumption.