Versioned Pipeline Templates for Cloud Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing software releases on cloud platforms is complex due to the need to deploy different versions of software on various cloud computing resources, with multiple tools and resources involved, leading to time-consuming and error-prone tracking of changes across numerous pipelines in multi-tenant systems.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses cloud platform-independent declarative specifications to generate cloud platform-specific data centers and pipelines, allowing for the deployment of software artifacts across multiple cloud platforms with version management and pipeline templates, enabling efficient deployment and rollback of software releases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple pipeline templates are used to manage different software versions on cloud platforms, then the ability to deploy different software versions on various cloud computing resources is improved, but the complexity of managing and tracking changes across numerous pipelines increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to deploy different software versionsVSAvoidcomplexity of managing pipeline templates

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large system into multiple data centers, each with its own versioned pipeline templates. Instead of managing one massive pipeline configuration across all services, the system divides pipeline management into smaller, independently versioned units per data center, making changes more manageable and trackable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements versioning by creating copies of pipeline templates with version identifiers. Each data center maintains copies of pipeline templates at different versions, allowing the system to track changes over time and revert to previous versions if needed, thereby managing complexity through replication with version control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If manual tracking methods are used to monitor changes in pipelines, then the ability to identify specific modifications is improved, but the time and computational resources required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking of pipeline changesVSAvoidtime to track changes

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automatic feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors and records changes to pipeline templates. Version control systems automatically detect modifications, log them with timestamps and identifiers, and provide feedback to stakeholders without requiring manual intervention, thus reducing time loss while maintaining complete change tracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service change tracking by automatically monitoring its own pipeline templates for modifications. The version control mechanism autonomously identifies changes, records them with appropriate metadata, and maintains version history without requiring external manual tracking efforts, eliminating time loss associated with manual monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If cloud platform-specific tools are used for each cloud platform, then the ability to manage resources on each platform is improved, but the complexity of managing multiple different tools increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to manage cloud resourcesVSAvoidnumber of different management tools

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates universal pipeline templates that can operate across multiple cloud platforms. Instead of maintaining separate toolsets for each cloud provider, the system develops multi-functional pipeline templates that work with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms, reducing the number of different tools needed while maintaining reliable resource management through platform-agnostic configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11561784B2Versioning of pipeline templates for continuous delivery of services on datacenters configured in cloud platforms

Publication Date: 2023.01.24 SALESFORCE INC

AI summary

Computing systems, for example, multi-tenant systems deploy software artifacts in data centers created in a cloud platform using a cloud platform infrastructure language that is cloud platform independent. The system receives pipeline templates including templating expressions that can be substituted with values for generating pipelines. A pipeline can be executed to perform a set of actions associated with continuous delivery of a software artifact. The system stores sets of partially hydrated pipeline templates. The partially hydrated pipeline templates can be compiled into executable pipelines associated with services configured on a datacenter of a cloud platform. The system stores different versions of pipeline templates as deployment packages. The system stores version pointers that identify specific deployment packages that are selected when a software release is deployed. The version pointers allow the deployment package to be updated in case of roll back or for deploying more recent changes.