Virtual Appliances for Distributed Application Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and fragility of network-based distributed applications lead to high capital and operational expenses, lengthy deployment processes, and increased risk aversion in enterprise IT, due to the need for massive manpower and specialized expertise, resulting in delayed market responses and high defect rates.
Innovation Solution
A system that simplifies the configuration and modification of distributed applications through a cohesive 'application model' using virtual appliances, which abstract hardware resources into pools of virtual machines, volumes, and network interfaces, enabling visual design, deployment, and operation on various hardware configurations without modification, and allowing dynamic scaling and easy integration of open source software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distributed applications are deployed on commodity clusters with network-based architecture, then scalability and flexibility are improved, but system complexity and integration difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the distributed application into independent virtual appliances that can be individually deployed, managed, and scaled. Each virtual appliance encapsulates specific functionality (web server, database, application logic) as a separate unit, eliminating the need for complex manual integration of multiple components while maintaining scalability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between the physical commodity cluster and the distributed application. This layer abstracts hardware resources and presents a simplified interface for application deployment, reducing integration complexity while preserving the scalability benefits of the underlying cluster architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual integration of servers, networks, storage, and software is performed on commodity clusters, then customization and control are improved, but deployment time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual appliances are pre-configured with all necessary software components, configurations, and dependencies before deployment. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual integration during deployment, significantly reducing deployment time while maintaining customization capabilities through selectable appliance types and configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple integration tasks (server configuration, network setup, storage allocation, software installation) into a single automated deployment process. The virtualization platform handles all these integration aspects simultaneously when deploying a virtual appliance, reducing deployment time while preserving customization options.
3Productivity
If distributed applications are built with multiple specialized components, then functionality and performance are improved, but reliability decreases due to increased points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The virtualization platform provides universal infrastructure services (compute, storage, networking) that support multiple application components through a single unified system. This reduces the number of specialized components needed while maintaining full functionality, thereby improving reliability by reducing points of failure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If enterprise IT departments handle full system integration responsibility, then control and customization are improved, but operational expenses and manpower requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service deployment where virtual appliances are automatically configured and deployed without requiring extensive manual intervention from IT personnel. The automated provisioning process maintains organizational control through policy enforcement while dramatically reducing manpower requirements and operational expenses.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention generally relates to computer systems, and more particularly apparatus, a visual method and a system for rapid construction and delivery of to an distributed applications, such as web applications and web services.