Serverless Infrastructure Management With FaaS Container Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing system management platforms face challenges in supporting multiple generations of heterogeneous infrastructure due to varying API standards and firmware versions, leading to complexity and limited device support.
Innovation Solution
A serverless system management solution using container images that encapsulate specific management operations for different device and firmware combinations, managed through a FaaS mapping database to deploy the appropriate container image for each operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If system management platforms support multiple generations of heterogeneous infrastructure with varying API standards and firmware versions, then the scope of supported devices increases, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system management platform into multiple independent adapter components, each designed to handle specific API standards or firmware versions. These adapters are loaded dynamically based on the target device requirements, allowing the platform to support heterogeneous infrastructure without monolithic complexity. Each adapter encapsulates protocol-specific logic, enabling modular management of diverse device generations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces adapter components as intermediary layers between the system management platform and target devices with different API standards. These adapters translate and mediate communication between the core platform and various device protocols (e.g., WS-Management, Redfish, SNMP), allowing unified management without direct platform-device protocol coupling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If system management platforms absorb complexity of device-protocol-function permutations within application code, then device compatibility improves, but maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments protocol-specific complexity into separate adapter modules rather than embedding it throughout application code. Each adapter is an independent, testable unit that can be maintained and updated without affecting other parts of the system. This modular segmentation makes the codebase more maintainable while preserving broad device compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal adapter framework that can handle multiple device-protocol-function combinations through a common interface. The adapter mechanism provides multi-functional capability to manage diverse devices (different vendors, generations, protocols) through unified adaptation logic, reducing the need for device-specific code paths and improving maintainability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If new system management protocols are implemented alongside previous protocols, then protocol support coverage increases, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic adapter loading mechanism where the system management platform loads only the adapters necessary for the target device's protocol at runtime. Rather than statically integrating all protocol support, the platform dynamically selects and loads appropriate adapters based on device detection, reducing implementation complexity while maintaining comprehensive protocol support coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses adapter intermediaries to isolate different protocol implementations from each other. Each protocol (WS-Management, Redfish, SNMP, etc.) has its own adapter that mediates communication independently, allowing multiple protocols to coexist without direct interactions or conflicts. This intermediary approach simplifies implementation by preventing protocol-specific complexity from propagating across the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed methods and systems for implementing serverless management of platform resources maintain a function-as-a-service (FaaS) mapping database associating a resource and management function combination with a locator identifying a container image for implementing management interactions required to perform the management function. When a FaaS request indicating a function-resource combination is detected, the applicable locator is retrieved from the mapping database and the corresponding container image is deployed. Each resource may correspond to a specific version of a specific make or model, e.g., a server model and a firmware version. API, protocol, and messaging specifics for performing the function on the resource are embedded in each container image. Thus, the container image for an inventory operation on a server with a first version of firmware may execute SOAP-based messaging while the image for the same operation on the same server model provisioned with a second firmware version may invoke a RESTful API.