Stencil-Based Application Deployment Automation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The deployment and management of applications and infrastructure components are cumbersome and resource-intensive, often requiring manual processes that are time-consuming and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The use of stencils, which are pre-configured templates for deploying and managing applications and infrastructure components, allowing for automated deployment and lifecycle management, including the selection of operating systems and stacks, with features like versioning, tagging, and reuse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual deployment processes are used, then flexibility in customization is maintained, but deployment time and resource consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by creating pre-configured deployment templates that contain all necessary configuration settings, dependencies, and deployment parameters prepared in advance. These templates enable automated deployment execution without manual configuration during the deployment process, thereby increasing deployment speed while managing complexity through pre-planning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by allowing dynamic modification of template parameters and configuration variables during deployment. This enables the same template to be reused across different deployment scenarios with varying parameters, maintaining flexibility and customization capability while leveraging automation for consistent and rapid deployment execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If automated deployment is implemented, then deployment efficiency improves, but initial setup complexity and resource requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment timeVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating reusable deployment templates that can be instantiated multiple times across different environments and projects. Instead of building deployment processes from scratch each time, the system copies and adapts proven templates, reducing both deployment time and the complexity of creating new deployment solutions, as the heavy lifting is done once in template creation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements universality by designing templates with configurable parameters and modular structures that can serve multiple deployment scenarios. A single template can be adapted for different applications, environments (development, testing, production), and configuration requirements, reducing the need for multiple specialized templates and lowering overall system complexity while maintaining automation benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If manual configuration is used, then control over each deployment detail is maintained, but consistency and reproducibility across deployments decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment consistencyVSAvoidoperational effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by enabling the deployment system to automatically configure and execute deployments based on template definitions without requiring manual intervention for each deployment detail. The templates encapsulate best practices, standardized configurations, and dependency management, allowing the system to self-configure deployments consistently while reducing operational effort. Manual control is maintained at the template design level rather than at each deployment execution level.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10156971B2Automatic deployment, configuration, and lifecycle management of applications and infrastructure components
Publication Date: 2018.12.18 BANK OF AMERICA CORP
  • US10156971B2 patent drawing
  • US10156971B2 patent drawing
  • US10156971B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Apparatuses, computer readable media, methods, and systems are described for automatic deployment of applications and infrastructure components, which may include processing selection of an operating system, processing selection of a stack, creating a stencil based on the operating system and the stack, and publishing the stencil.