Service Mesh for Multi-Cloud Container Interoperability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Subscribers face difficulties in effectively utilizing computing services across multiple cloud providers due to differences in service management tools and systems, limiting their ability to use cloud providers as a unified computing utility.

Innovation Solution

A service control system manages computing services for containers across various hosts, providing a standardized runtime environment and control plane that enables interoperability across different cloud providers, including private servers, without relying on specific APIs or provider-based services, and offers features like load balancing and storage backup.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If each cloud computing provider operates discrete services with provider-specific tools and systems, then each provider can maintain control and customization of their infrastructure, but subscribers cannot effectively utilize services across multiple providers interchangeably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to utilize services across multiple cloud providersVSAvoidcomplexity of managing multiple provider-specific systems

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a service mesh as an intermediary layer between applications and cloud provider infrastructure. This service mesh includes proxies that intercept and manage service-to-service communication, allowing applications to interact with cloud services through standardized interfaces rather than provider-specific APIs. The service mesh abstracts the underlying infrastructure complexity while maintaining the ability to leverage multiple cloud providers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The service mesh architecture provides universal functionality that works across different cloud providers. By implementing a standardized service mesh that can operate on any cloud infrastructure, the system achieves multi-functionality where the same service management approach can be applied regardless of which cloud provider is being used, enabling portability and interchangeability between providers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If cloud computing providers use different management tools and systems, then each provider can optimize for their specific infrastructure, but subscribers are limited to tools particular to each provider

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of managing computing services across providersVSAvoidlimitation to provider-specific tools

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The service mesh acts as a mediator that translates between application-level service requirements and cloud provider-specific implementations. The proxies within the service mesh handle provider-specific protocols and APIs, while presenting a unified interface to applications. This eliminates the need for subscribers to learn and manage multiple provider-specific toolsets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The service mesh creates copies of service communication patterns that are standardized and portable across providers. Instead of directly using provider-specific tools, the system creates abstracted copies of service interactions through the service mesh layer, allowing the same service logic to be copied and deployed across different cloud providers without modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If a service control system manages containers across heterogeneous configurations and multiple cloud providers, then unified control is achieved, but the system must operate independently of specific cloud provider APIs and services

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to manage heterogeneous configurations across providersVSAvoidcomplexity of implementing provider-independent control

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The service mesh is designed with universal functionality that can manage containers across heterogeneous cloud configurations. The proxies are implemented to work with standard container runtimes and orchestration interfaces, making them portable across different cloud providers without requiring provider-specific APIs or services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The service mesh architecture segments the control plane from the data plane, with proxies handling provider-specific infrastructure interactions while the control plane maintains unified service management logic. This segmentation allows the system to manage heterogeneous configurations through standardized control mechanisms while independently handling provider-specific implementations at the proxy level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10110418B2Cloud computing service architecture

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 RANCHER LABS INC

AI summary

A service control system manages a set of containers operating within one or more computing hosts. Containers may access a consistent runtime environment regardless which cloud provider the computing hosts come from. Each computing host also runs a control plane agent that interacts with the service control system to provide a set of services to the containers on the computing host and connect the containers to an overlay network of the service control system. The service control system thus may provide networking, firewall, storage, and load balancing services to the various containers. This permits a set of heterogeneous computing hosts to provide consistent services regardless of the underlying computing resources and containers that are managed by the service control system.