Simulated Hardware Infrastructure for Orchestration Software Testing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Managing and orchestrating large-scale distributed computing systems with thousands of compute nodes, storage nodes, and power nodes is challenging due to the complexity of scaling and ensuring proper functionality and failure recovery in datacenters and cloud computing platforms.

Innovation Solution

A simulated hardware infrastructure is created to support the development and testing of management and orchestration software, comprising simulated compute nodes, network switch devices, and power distribution devices, allowing for error injection and failure simulation to validate the software's response.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If physical prototypes and real hardware infrastructure are used for testing management and orchestration software, then testing accuracy and reliability validation are improved, but cost, time, and scalability are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware reliability validationVSAvoidtesting infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual copies of hardware infrastructure components (compute nodes, storage nodes, network devices, power devices) that replicate the behavior and characteristics of physical hardware. These virtualized representations allow software to be tested against realistic scenarios without requiring actual physical prototypes, thereby maintaining reliability validation while reducing complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows dynamic modification of hardware parameters and configurations in the virtual environment. Testing scenarios can adjust computational resources, storage capacities, network bandwidth, and power consumption parameters to match various operational conditions, enabling comprehensive software validation without physical reconfiguration of hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If large-scale physical computing systems are deployed to meet increased user demand, then system capacity and performance are improved, but the ability to test and validate management software functionality is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem scaling capacityVSAvoidsoftware testing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Virtual replicas of large-scale computing systems can be instantiated quickly for testing purposes. These virtual environments mirror the structure and behavior of production systems, allowing developers to validate management software against scaled configurations without the logistical burden of physically deploying and managing actual large-scale hardware for each testing scenario.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual testing environment is dynamically configurable, allowing the system size, node count, and resource allocation to be adjusted on-demand based on testing requirements. This dynamic nature enables easy scaling up or down of test environments without the commitment and complexity of physical hardware deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If error injection and failure simulation are implemented in physical systems, then failure recovery validation is improved, but system availability and operational stability are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure recovery validationVSAvoidsystem downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Failure scenarios and error conditions can be injected into virtual system copies without affecting physical hardware availability. The virtual environment safely replicates failure modes (node failures, network disruptions, power losses) allowing comprehensive failure recovery testing while the actual physical system remains operational and unaffected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

By pre-configuring virtual testing environments that are isolated from production systems, the patent creates a protective buffer that allows aggressive failure testing without risking actual system stability or availability. Lessons learned from virtual failure simulations can then be applied to harden the actual system against real failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS10796035B1Computing system with simulated hardware infrastructure to support development and testing of management and orchestration software

Publication Date: 2020.10.06 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Techniques for building and implementing computing systems with simulated hardware infrastructures are provided to support, for example, development and testing of management and orchestration software. For example, a system includes a processing platform comprising hardware resources, and a simulated computing system executing on top of the processing platform using the hardware resources. The simulated computing system comprises simulated elements including a simulated compute node, a simulated network switch device, and a simulated power distribution device. The simulated compute node comprises a simulated hardware processor and a simulated storage device. The system further comprises a test control interface configured to enable a user to test the simulated computing system by injecting an error into the simulated computing system. For example, error injection includes manipulating a behavior of one or more of the simulated elements and/or simulating a failure of one or more of the simulated elements.