Unified Configuration Baselines for Continuous Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current configuration management solutions fail to effectively combine infrastructure and application configurations in a dynamic continuous delivery environment, leading to unsuccessful deployments due to underlying infrastructure not being in the expected state.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for establishing application release-oriented baselines by identifying a deployment environment, selecting a server type, and creating an ordered set of instructions or resources based on the server type and deployment environment, which includes associating a configuration management node with the application and detecting errors in the deployment runlist to reflect the configuration baseline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If configuration management solutions maintain infrastructure configuration baselines separately from application deployment, then infrastructure state can be tracked, but deployment failures occur due to infrastructure not being in the expected state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines infrastructure configuration baselines and application deployment baselines into a unified configuration baseline. This integration allows the system to track both infrastructure state and application deployment state together, ensuring that deployment operations account for the actual infrastructure configuration state, thereby preventing deployment failures caused by infrastructure drift.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor infrastructure configuration state and compare it against the expected baseline. When drift is detected, the system can trigger automated remediation or alert operators, ensuring that the infrastructure remains in the expected state for successful deployments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If configuration baselines are static and predefined, then deployment processes are simple to manage, but they cannot adapt to dynamic continuous delivery environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static configuration baselines into dynamic baselines that can adapt to changing requirements in continuous delivery environments. The system allows configuration baselines to be updated and modified based on actual deployment needs, infrastructure changes, and feedback from deployment outcomes, enabling adaptability without requiring complete redefinition of the baseline structure.
3Loss of information
If multiple configuration management solutions are used across different infrastructure components, then specialized management is possible, but visibility and reporting across solutions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal configuration baseline framework that can accommodate multiple configuration management solutions (such as Chef, Puppet, Ansible) through a common interface. This universal layer abstracts the specifics of individual CM tools while maintaining visibility and reporting capabilities across all solutions, allowing organizations to leverage specialized tools without sacrificing cross-solution visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a common interface for associating an ordered set of instructions and/or resources from a release automation application with a configuration manager node associated with a server type. Embodiments are directed to a single-click bootstrapping of an unassociated node to a configuration management server. Embodiments include receiving an indication to associate a node with a configuration management server; connecting to the node though a release automation agent; installing a configuration management server client; connecting to the configuration management server using the configuration management server client; and registering the node to the configuration management server.