Scaffold Map Deployment for Heterogeneous Cloud Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Serverless technology architectures create a disconnect between infrastructure provision and application deployment, particularly in heterogeneous computing environments with SaaS and on-premise setups, leading to complex deployment challenges for developers and platform providers due to lack of a single common code base and coordination of interdependencies.
Innovation Solution
A combined application and package manager that generates scaffold maps and agent manifests to automate deployment across multiple runtimes, enabling coherent deployment across on-premise, SaaS, and hybrid architectures while respecting licensing restrictions, and allowing for sandboxing and granular deployment modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If serverless technology architecture is used to separate infrastructure management from application deployment, then developers can focus on core technology solutions without managing servers, but this creates a disconnect between infrastructure provision and application deployment in heterogeneous computing environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary deployment management system that acts as a mediator between the serverless infrastructure providers and the application deployment processes. This system coordinates deployments across heterogeneous environments (SaaS, on-premise, hybrid) by translating high-level deployment descriptors into platform-specific instructions, thereby resolving the disconnect created by serverless architecture while maintaining developer productivity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a heterogeneous computing environment with multiple SaaS providers and on-premise servers is used to provide service diversity, then platform providers can offer varied runtime environments, but there is no single common code base and coordination of updates and interdependencies becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal deployment management system that can operate across multiple heterogeneous platforms (SaaS, on-premise, hybrid environments). The system provides multi-functional capabilities including generating deployment descriptors, creating scaffold maps, producing agent manifests, and coordinating updates across different runtime environments through a single unified interface, eliminating the need for separate deployment processes for each platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages heterogeneity by dynamically changing parameters in deployment descriptors and scaffold maps based on the target platform. It transforms a single application deployment configuration into platform-specific configurations by adjusting parameters such as runtime environment settings, service endpoint URLs, and resource allocation specifications, thereby enabling coherent deployment across diverse environments without maintaining separate code bases.
3Ease of operation
If manual methods or custom bespoke development with tooling such as ansible are used to manage deployments, then some coordination capability is achieved, but the process remains complex and requires significant custom scripting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service deployment management system where the deployment manager automatically generates deployment descriptors, scaffold maps, and agent manifests without requiring custom scripting. The system provides built-in intelligence to coordinate updates, manage interdependencies, and adapt to different platforms automatically, eliminating the need for manual intervention or bespoke development with tools like Ansible.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques enable an application for execution in a heterogeneous computing environment including an on-premise server and a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider. A scaffold defining assets usable by the application and configuration details therefor is developed. At least one scaffold map is generated. Each specifies target servers where individual assets are located and/or to be located. Different scaffold maps are generated for different user-specifiable environments to which the application is deployable. An application manager helps generate agent manifests based on the scaffold and one or more scaffold maps. The agent manifests are usable to configure respective target servers. A package manager helps provision the target servers based on the agent manifests. The provisioning includes distributing to corresponding target servers, and processing thereon, the agent manifests. The processing includes rolling back the distribution responsive to an occurrence of a defined exception case. The application is enabled following successful provisioning.