Intelligent Software Patch Management via Diversity-Based Deployment Rings

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Solution Overview

Problem

IT administrators face challenges in managing software patches across diverse devices due to the heterogeneity of device contexts, leading to frequent interruptions and manual efforts to debug issues, as existing deployment ring strategies often ignore device diversity and result in delayed detection of problems.

Innovation Solution

An intelligent software deployment system (ISDS) that selects computing devices for software patch deployment based on maximizing diversity by assigning attribute values, weights, and costs, using algorithms like maximum coverage and greedy algorithms to create contextual elements and optimize deployment rings, thereby identifying potential issues earlier in the process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional deployment rings are used to deploy software patches, then problems can be detected early in the deployment process, but device diversity is ignored and deployment cycle time is extended to about 4 weeks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproblem detection capabilityVSAvoiddeployment cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the selection parameters for deployment rings from traditional criteria (department, location, user role) to diversity-based criteria that maximize contextual element coverage. By calculating diversity scores based on multiple device attributes and selecting devices that maximize this score, the system identifies potential compatibility issues faster while reducing overall deployment time from 4 weeks to a more efficient cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary diversity analysis and contextual element mapping before deployment begins. By pre-calculating which devices represent the most diverse contexts and selecting them for early deployment rings, the system proactively identifies potential issues before they affect the broader device population, thereby reducing the overall deployment cycle time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If deployment rings are expanded to include more diverse devices, then more issues can be detected, but manual intervention and debugging efforts increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveissue detection coverageVSAvoidmanual intervention requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs diversity-based device selection, contextual element analysis, and deployment ring formation without requiring manual intervention. The automated diversity score calculation and device selection process replaces manual debugging efforts, allowing the system to handle diverse device contexts autonomously while maintaining high issue detection coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors deployment outcomes and uses this feedback to refine diversity scoring and device selection for subsequent rings. By learning from actual deployment results and adjusting the diversity metrics accordingly, the system improves its ability to detect issues automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention as deployment progresses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If traditional homogeneous device selection is used for deployment rings, then deployment process is simpler to manage, but problems are detected late in the deployment process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment management simplicityVSAvoidproblem detection timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the device population into deployment rings based on diversity scores rather than traditional homogeneous groupings. By dividing devices into rings that progressively increase in diversity coverage, the system maintains manageable deployment steps while ensuring that each ring introduces new contextual elements that could reveal compatibility issues, thereby detecting problems earlier without sacrificing operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If diversity-maximizing algorithms are used to select deployment rings, then device context coverage is maximized, but computational complexity and algorithm execution time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice context coverageVSAvoidalgorithm complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a tiered diversity selection approach where not all devices require full diversity analysis. Instead, the algorithm focuses computational effort on selecting representative devices for each ring that maximize diversity coverage, using approximations and heuristics for large device populations. This partial action approach achieves sufficient context coverage without requiring computationally exhaustive analysis of every device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11733996B2Intelligent software patch management

Publication Date: 2023.08.22 OMNISSA LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods are described for intelligent software patch management. In an example, a system can receive a selection of device attributes. The system can associate a group of computing devices with attribute values that correspond to each device. The system can also create value pairs of unique pairs of values for each computing device. The system can select a set of computing devices for a deployment ring that maximizes diversity of the values or value pairs. The system can deploy the software patch to the selected devices and monitor device performance for a predetermined period of time before continuing to the next deployment ring or rolling back the update.