Unified Configuration File for Cloud Workflow Automation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The build, deploy, and release phases of the software development lifecycle are complex and lack standardization, especially for cloud-based implementations, leading to fragmented workflows and domain-specific skills that do not translate across cloud platforms.
Innovation Solution
A workflow tool that generates a single configuration file using a common command-line interface (CLI) language, defining build, deploy, and release configurations, and provides a consistent release URL across cloud computing platforms through a discovery and routing service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple platform-specific tools and configurations are used for build, deploy, and release phases, then platform-specific functionality is achieved, but workflow complexity and management difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a single configuration file that works across multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.). Instead of requiring separate configuration files for each platform, the unified configuration file with platform-agnostic syntax handles build, deploy, and release operations across different cloud providers, reducing workflow complexity while maintaining platform-specific functionality through backend platform detection and adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the unified configuration file format and workflow engine) between the user and multiple cloud platforms. This intermediary translates high-level, platform-agnostic configuration instructions into platform-specific commands and operations, eliminating the need for users to directly manage multiple platform-specific toolchains while still achieving platform-specific functionality.
2Reliability
If domain-specific skills and platform-specific procedures are required for each cloud platform, then platform-specific deployment requirements are met, but skill transferability and team collaboration across platforms decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The unified configuration file creates a universal interface that works across all cloud platforms using consistent syntax and structure. Developers learn one configuration format that applies to AWS, Azure, GCP, and other platforms, making skills transferable while the system automatically adapts to meet each platform's specific deployment requirements through backend platform detection and command translation.
3Ease of operation
If separate configuration files and tools are used for each phase (build, deploy, release), then phase-specific control is achieved, but integration and consistency across phases become difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges build, deploy, and release configurations into a single configuration file with a unified syntax structure. Each phase maintains its specific control through dedicated configuration sections, but all phases are integrated through the single file format and executed as a cohesive workflow by the workflow engine, eliminating integration complexity while preserving phase-specific control.
4Extent of automation
If makefiles or CI/CD pipelines are used to manage build, deploy, and release workflows, then automation is achieved, but scalability and organization-specific adaptability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The unified configuration file provides a universal automation interface that works across organizations and scales from small to large deployments. The platform-agnostic syntax and workflow engine enable consistent automation patterns that can be applied organization-wide across multiple teams and platforms, eliminating the fragmentation and organization-specific limitations of traditional makefiles and CI/CD pipelines.
Data Source
AI summary
A discovery and routing service may generate a URL related to an application to be deployed to a cloud computing platforms, the URL, providing access to an edge list containing one or more edge nodes. The discovery and routing service may connect at least one agent to the URL. The discovery and routing service may send authentication information to the agent, including an identifier related to the agent, and a set of agent labels. The discovery and routing service may insert, after authentication by the edge node, the authentication information into a routing mesh. The discovery and routing service may locate the agent, in response to a request, based on a comparison between the set of request labels and a set of agent labels. The discovery and routing service may connect the located agent with traffic to and from the routing mesh.