Automated Test Environment Provisioning via Dependency Topology
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software test environments often differ from production environments, leading to inconsistencies that can mask issues until they reach the production stage, resulting in costly failures and underutilization due to high contention and human intervention requirements.
Innovation Solution
A cloud manager automates the creation of isolated, correct test environments by utilizing dependency information to provision necessary compute units and databases, eliminating external dependencies and enabling efficient testing without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If test environments are created manually by different teams, then customization and control are improved, but consistency with production environment deteriorates and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates test environments by copying the production environment configuration and structure. The system automatically provisions test environments that replicate the production setup, ensuring consistency while eliminating manual configuration errors. This copying approach maintains reliability by ensuring test environments mirror production exactly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically provisions, configures, and manages test environments without human intervention. The automated system handles environment creation, dependency resolution, and lifecycle management, eliminating manual operations while maintaining consistency through standardized automated processes.
2Loss of energy
If fewer test environments are maintained, then cost is reduced, but contention for resource access increases and availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic test environment management where environments are created on-demand and automatically decommissioned after use. The system dynamically provisions environments when needed and releases them when not in use, optimizing resource utilization. This dynamic approach reduces overall resource requirements while maintaining high availability when environments are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal test environments that can serve multiple teams and purposes through automated provisioning. The standardized environment templates can be replicated and assigned to different users dynamically, allowing a smaller number of environments to serve multiple functions and reduce contention through efficient resource sharing and allocation.
3Ease of operation
If human intervention is required to manage test environment lifecycle, then control and customization are improved, but automation level deteriorates and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements comprehensive self-service automation where the system automatically handles the entire test environment lifecycle including provisioning, configuration, activation, and decommissioning. The automated system resolves dependencies, provisions resources, and manages environments without human intervention, eliminating manual labor while maintaining control through standardized automated processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the automated system monitors environment status, usage, and health metrics. The system uses this feedback to automatically manage environment lifecycles, scaling resources up or down based on actual needs. This feedback-driven automation maintains control while eliminating manual intervention.
4Productivity
If test environments are created over capacity to ensure availability, then availability is improved, but cost and resource utilization efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where test environments are provisioned on-demand based on actual usage needs rather than maintaining static over-provisioned capacity. The system automatically scales environment availability up when needed and down when not in use, optimizing the balance between availability and resource utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of test environments from static permanent allocation to dynamic temporary provisioning. Environments are created with specific parameters tailored to immediate testing needs and automatically decommissioned afterward, optimizing resource utilization by matching capacity to actual demand rather than maintaining fixed over-provisioned capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system to create a software test environment on demand are described. An example system includes a dependency module to, upon receiving a command identifying a primary function to be created in a test environment, identify one or more dependencies of the primary function. The dependencies are other functions or databases that the primary function depends upon. The dependency module generates a topology of the test environment that indicates the relationship of the dependencies to the primary function. A provisioning module provisions a plurality of pools based on the topology. An enterprise service bus (ESB) routing module updates ESB routing of the primary function to route to the plurality of pools in the test environment. A credentials module provides credentials of the pools in the test environment.