Automated Service Environment Provisioning via Web Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual configuration of virtual environments in shared infrastructure, such as server farms, is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process that requires numerous IT personnel, making timely deployment of applications difficult due to cost constraints.
Innovation Solution
An automated environment provisioning technique using modular web services and a business logic layer, facilitated by a graphical user interface, which allows users to initiate an automated provisioning procedure to create or modify service environments, reducing the need for manual configuration and IT personnel involvement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual configuration of virtual environments is performed, then service environments can be provisioned in shared infrastructure, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive requiring numerous IT personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the provisioning system automatically performs configuration tasks without human intervention. The automated provisioning system executes workflows, allocates resources, and configures virtual environments autonomously based on service templates and user requests, eliminating the need for manual IT personnel involvement in routine provisioning tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures service templates and resource allocation patterns in advance. Service templates contain pre-defined configuration parameters, resource requirements, and deployment workflows that are prepared beforehand. When a provisioning request is received, the system simply instantiates these pre-prepared templates rather than configuring everything from scratch, significantly reducing provisioning time.
2Productivity
If manual configuration processes are used, then service environments can be created, but the process requires a large number of IT personnel which increases costs
Solution Approach 1:
The automated provisioning system performs configuration tasks autonomously without requiring human operators. The system automatically interprets service requests, selects appropriate resource allocations from templates, executes provisioning workflows, and manages virtual environment creation, thereby eliminating the need for large teams of IT personnel while maintaining high provisioning capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The provisioning system is designed as a universal automated platform that can handle multiple types of service environments and configuration scenarios through standardized service templates. A single automated system replaces the need for multiple specialized IT personnel who would otherwise be required to handle different provisioning tasks manually.
3Extent of automation
If automated provisioning is implemented, then provisioning time is reduced and IT personnel usage becomes more efficient, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated provisioning system is divided into distinct functional modules including service template management, resource allocation engine, workflow execution system, and virtual environment management components. Each module handles specific aspects of provisioning independently, making the overall complex system manageable through clear separation of concerns and modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Service templates act as intermediaries between user requests and the automated provisioning system. Templates abstract complex configuration details into standardized, parameterized definitions that the automated system can process easily. This intermediary layer simplifies the interaction between users and the complex automated infrastructure while maintaining high automation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
To perform service provisioning in an infrastructure, a provisioning system receives a request to provision a service environment for an application. In response to the request, the provisioning system employs web services to configure resources of the infrastructure for the application. The provisioning system defines interactions between the web services, and provides the service environment based on the configuring performed by the web services.