SCA to OVF Translation for Cloud Service Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing and deploying composite applications that utilize different types of cloud services from various vendors is complex, requiring manual specification of virtualization platforms and often limited by vendor-specific formats, making it difficult to create and deploy solutions across multiple cloud stack layers.
Innovation Solution
The method employs the Service Component Architecture (SCA) model to define composite applications, which are then translated into the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) for deployment on virtualization platforms, enabling the use of multiple services across different cloud stack layers and vendors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual specification of virtualization platform requirements is used, then deployment can be achieved, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining virtualization platform requirements in standardized templates before deployment. The system automatically generates deployment configurations in advance, eliminating the need for manual specification during the deployment process itself. This resolves the contradiction by making deployment efficient (improving productivity) while using pre-prepared templates to reduce process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating reusable deployment templates that can be replicated across different virtualization platforms. Instead of manually specifying requirements each time, the system copies proven deployment configurations and adapts them to target platforms. This improves productivity through reuse while reducing the complexity of creating new deployment specifications from scratch.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vendor-specific formats are used for virtualization platform specifications, then deployment on that vendor's platform is straightforward, but choices for deployment are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a vendor-agnostic deployment framework that can target multiple virtualization platforms through a common interface. The system uses standardized templates that can be adapted to different vendors' platforms, making the deployment process flexible (improving ease of operation) while maintaining broad platform compatibility (improving adaptability). This resolves the contradiction between being locked into vendor-specific formats and having deployment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer - a standardized template format that sits between the application deployment package and the target virtualization platform. This intermediary translates vendor-specific requirements into a universal format, allowing the same deployment package to work across different platforms. This improves deployment flexibility while maintaining vendor platform compatibility through the translating intermediary.
3Adaptability or versatility
If composite applications use services from multiple cloud vendors and stack layers, then service integration capability is improved, but creation and deployment difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by breaking down composite application deployment into separate, manageable components - service definitions, deployment configurations, and platform adaptations. Each service from different vendors and stack layers is defined independently using standardized templates, then composed together. This improves service integration capability while reducing creation complexity by making the process modular and systematic rather than monolithic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by allowing the same service definition to be deployed across different platforms by changing only platform-specific parameters while keeping the core service logic unchanged. The standardized templates use parameterized configurations that can be adapted to different vendors and cloud stack layers without rewriting the entire application. This improves service integration capability across multiple vendors while reducing application creation complexity through parameterization.
Data Source
AI summary
Composite applications can be created that utilize a plurality of different services across a plurality of different cloud stack layers. The composite applications are defined using the Service Component Architecture (SCA) model. Composite applications can be translated from the SCA model into a format compatible for a virtualization platform, such as the Open Virtualization Format (OVF). Composite applications, as defined in the format compatible for the virtualization platform, can be deployed on the virtualization platform.