Unified API for Web Deployment Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network server administrators and web developers face challenges in synchronizing content, configuration data, and database data across machines, requiring manual copying or custom processes for deployment and backup, which is inefficient and error-prone.

Innovation Solution

A unified API that allows grouping various types of data into a single unit for synchronization, enabling communication with a service on the destination machine to configure it, including functions for packaging, deploying, and synchronizing web applications, content, and database data, using a protocol that sends metadata and actual data for efficient deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual copying or custom processes are used for deployment, then flexibility and control are maintained, but productivity and efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment efficiencyVSAvoidmanual intervention requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service deployment through automated synchronization. The synchronization service automatically detects changes, packages data, and deploys to destination machines without requiring manual copying or custom processes, thereby improving productivity while reducing manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal deployment framework that handles multiple data types (content, configuration data, database data) through a single unified API. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate custom processes for each deployment scenario, improving both efficiency and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate processes are used for different data types, then specific data handling requirements are met, but device complexity and process complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata type handling capabilityVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple deployment processes into a single unified synchronization service. The system combines handling of content files, configuration data, and database data into one integrated process that uses a common packaging and deployment mechanism, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining adaptability to different data types

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A universal API framework is implemented that can handle various data types through a single interface. The synchronization service provides multi-functional capabilities to manage different data types uniformly, reducing the need for multiple separate processes while maintaining the ability to meet specific handling requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If custom packages are created for backup, then backup completeness is ensured, but loss of time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup completenessVSAvoidbackup creation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary packaging of all necessary data (content, configuration, database) into synchronization-ready units before deployment. This preliminary action ensures that when backup is needed, the data is already organized and packaged, eliminating the time-consuming process of creating custom backup packages while ensuring completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The backup process is merged with the deployment synchronization process. The same packaging mechanism used for deployment is utilized for backup, ensuring that all data types are captured together in a single operation. This reduces backup creation time while maintaining completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8700750B2Web deployment functions and interfaces

Publication Date: 2014.04.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Described is a technology in which a destination machine (e.g., a server) is synchronized with source data via an API, including to configure the destination machine. The API includes functions for specifying the source data, the destination machine, and the deployment/synchronization type, along with a function for synchronizing the source data to the destination machine. The API allows combining content, configuration data and/or database data into a single unit (object). The API handles communication with a service/agent on the destination machine that configures that destination machine based on the source data. The API may include functions for packaging web applications, deploying web applications, synchronizing websites, deploying archive data, and/or deploying manifest data. In this manner, deployment/synchronization (including backup operations) may be performed against a group of objects using an API.