Run-time Configuration API Decouples Orchestrator Upgrades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud computing systems face complexity in maintaining continuous availability and scalability due to upgrade dependencies between orchestrators and service-providing entities, requiring frequent upgrades of orchestrators, which is time-consuming and computationally expensive.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a configuration API that allows orchestrators to query service-providing entities for run-time configuration information, decoupling the need for simultaneous upgrades of orchestrators and service-providing entities, thereby reducing upgrade dependencies and enabling efficient management of cloud computing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If orchestrators are upgraded to maintain service availability and security, then system reliability is improved, but upgrade time and computational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments configuration management into two independent parts: static configuration (handled by orchestrator) and run-time configuration (handled by service-providing entity). This segmentation allows the orchestrator to remain stable while service-providing entities can be upgraded independently, reducing upgrade time and computational cost.
Solution Approach 2:
An API interface acts as an intermediary between the orchestrator and service-providing entities. This API enables the orchestrator to query run-time configuration information without requiring direct integration or simultaneous upgrades with service-providing entities, thus reducing upgrade dependencies and time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If orchestrators are upgraded frequently to support new services, then adaptability is improved, but computational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management functionality is segmented between the orchestrator (static configuration) and service-providing entities (run-time configuration). This allows the orchestrator to maintain adaptability through API updates without requiring frequent computational upgrades, reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Service-providing entities autonomously manage their own run-time configuration information and expose it through APIs. This self-service capability eliminates the need for the orchestrator to perform complex computational tasks to manage service configurations, reducing overall computational cost.
3Loss of information
If run-time configuration information is obtained through direct integration, then information accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
An API interface serves as an intermediary that provides accurate run-time configuration information to the orchestrator without requiring direct integration between components. This intermediary approach maintains information accuracy while significantly reducing system integration complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of services described herein expose an application programming interface (API) which may return the run-time configuration information. In this manner, software external to the service (e.g., an orchestrator) may query the service to determine the run-time configuration information, then provide both the initial configuration information known to the external software and the run-time configuration information to an Internet-facing gateway. Examples described herein may accordingly avoid or reduce instances of an upgrade dependency. When the service is upgraded, the run-time configuration information may be obtained by calling the API without a need to also upgrade the software external to the service.