Virtual Appliance Pre-Configuration for Rapid Software Deployment

Solution Overview

Problem

The deployment, configuration, and customization of complex software systems like ERP, CRM, and HCM/HRM are time-consuming, costly, and risky due to their large scale and high flexibility, requiring significant onsite effort and integrator involvement.

Innovation Solution

The development of virtual appliances that are pre-assembled, pre-configured, and pre-tested, allowing for centralized configuration and customization before transport, enabling rapid deployment and reducing costs, time, and risk exposure by transforming the software system into a template that can be instantly functional upon deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If software systems are deployed with high flexibility and large scale to support organizational processes, then adaptability and functionality are improved, but deployment time, cost, and risk increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware system flexibilityVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring and pre-customizing software systems in a centralized location before deployment. Virtual appliances are built with all necessary configurations, customizations, and dependencies pre-assembled, eliminating the need for extensive onsite configuration work and significantly reducing deployment time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If software systems are deployed with high flexibility and large scale to support organizational processes, then adaptability and functionality are improved, but deployment cost and risk increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware system flexibilityVSAvoiddeployment risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring and pre-customizing software systems in a centralized location before deployment. Virtual appliances are built with all necessary configurations, customizations, and dependencies pre-assembled, eliminating the need for extensive onsite configuration work and significantly reducing deployment time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies copying by creating virtual appliance templates that can be replicated and deployed across multiple environments. Once a software system is configured and tested in one location, the virtual appliance can be copied and deployed to multiple destinations with consistent configurations, reducing risk and ensuring reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If virtual appliances are pre-configured and pre-tested centrally before transport, then deployment speed and productivity are improved, but device complexity and configuration management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidvirtual appliance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the software system into modular virtual appliances that can be independently configured, tested, and deployed. Each virtual appliance is a self-contained unit with specific functionality, making complex systems manageable through modular components that can be assembled and deployed independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies universality by creating virtual appliance templates that can be used across multiple environments and purposes. A single virtual appliance template can be deployed to different destinations with the same pre-configured functionality, reducing the need for environment-specific customizations and simplifying management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9628335B2Building and transporting centrally modified software systems

Publication Date: 2017.04.18 SAP SE

AI summary

Various embodiments herein include at least one of systems, methods, and software for building and transporting centrally configured and modified software systems. Such embodiments provide for a virtual appliance to be configured and customized prior to transport of the virtual appliance to the target organization. Once configured and customized, the software system of the virtual appliance is reassembled into a virtual appliance, transported, and rapidly deployed in a form as needed by the organization. This results in significant cost, time, and risk exposure mitigation.