Service Policy Visualization Interface for Runtime Resource Hierarchy

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Solution Overview

Problem

In IT environments, evaluating and troubleshooting runtime resource policy attachments and applied policy details is complex due to inheritance, multiple policies, and runtime conditions, making it difficult to predict system behavior and identify issues.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for visualizing runtime resource policy attachments and applied policy details through programmatic introspection, creating an effective applied policy configuration by correlating and combining service policies within a resource hierarchy, and displaying this configuration in a service policy visualization interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple service policies are attached to a policy resource within a resource hierarchy, then policy coverage and control are improved, but complexity of evaluating and troubleshooting policy attachments and applied policy details increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy coverageVSAvoidcomplexity of evaluating and troubleshooting policy attachments

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex policy evaluation process into distinct components: policy attachment identification, inheritance resolution, condition evaluation, and action determination. The service policy visualization interface divides the resource hierarchy into expandable nodes, allowing users to examine policy attachments at each hierarchical level separately, thereby reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining comprehensive policy coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary visualization layer between the raw policy attachments and the user. This intermediate representation displays policy attachments, inherited policies, runtime conditions, and actions in a structured format, mediating the complexity of multiple nested policies and making them easier to evaluate and troubleshoot.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If service policies with runtime conditions and actions are attached to policy resources, then policy enforcement capability is improved, but difficulty of predicting system behavior increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy enforcement capabilityVSAvoiddifficulty of predicting system behavior

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary evaluation and visualization of policy attachments, inherited policies, runtime conditions, and actions before actual policy enforcement. The service policy visualization interface allows users to predict system behavior by displaying the complete policy evaluation chain in advance, resolving the difficulty of prediction while maintaining enforcement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the visualization interface displays the complete policy evaluation results, including which policies are attached, how inheritance resolves conflicts, what runtime conditions apply, and what actions will be taken. This feedback loop enables users to verify and predict system behavior accurately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If programmatic introspection is used to identify service policies attached to a policy resource, then accuracy of policy configuration is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of policy configurationVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs programmatic introspection and policy configuration analysis in advance, before runtime policy enforcement. The service policy visualization interface pre-computes and displays the effective policy configuration, reducing processing overhead during actual runtime while maintaining high accuracy through comprehensive introspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10235656B2Visualization of runtime resource policy attachments and applied policy details

Publication Date: 2019.03.19 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

An effective applied policy configuration associated with a selected policy resource is created responsive to a selection of a policy resource within a service policy visualization interface based upon results of programmatic introspection of the selected policy resource. The effective applied policy configuration includes correlated and combined effects of service policies identified by the programmatic introspection as attached to the selected policy resource within a resource hierarchy associated with the selected policy resource. The effective applied policy configuration associated with the selected policy resource, including the correlated and combined effects of the attached service policies, is displayed within the service policy visualization interface.