Virtual Environment Allocation for Software Competition
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Solution Overview
Problem
In competitions for developing assets like software, it is challenging to provide contestants with the necessary tools, content, and environments without incurring significant costs and ensuring control over these resources, while also avoiding errors due to differences between development and production environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that configures a master environment for competitions, saves it as a virtual image, and allocates virtual servers to contestants with this image, allowing them to work within a controlled and consistent environment for development and testing, which can be archived and reused.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If copies of tools, content, and data are provided to contestants, then contestants can work effectively during the competition, but costs increase and control over resources is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the production environment (master environment) that can be replicated and distributed to multiple contestants. This virtual environment includes all necessary tools, content, and data configurations. By using virtualization technology, the system provides each contestant with an isolated but identical copy of the production environment, ensuring consistency while managing resource distribution efficiently through virtual server allocation and de-allocation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If development environment differs from production environment, then contestants can work with different configurations, but errors and artifacts appear in production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating and configuring the master environment in advance, exactly matching the production environment specifications. This pre-configured environment is then replicated to contestants before the competition begins, ensuring that the same tools, versions, and configurations are available to all contestants as in production. Any necessary adaptations are made within this controlled framework, preventing deviations that could cause production errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates precise copies of the production environment for contestant use. The master environment is configured to match production specifications, and virtual copies are distributed to contestants. This ensures that whatever works in the contestant environment will work in production, eliminating environment-related bugs while maintaining the ability to test different solutions within the controlled copy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If contestants set up their own development environments, then customization is possible, but setup time increases and configuration errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring the master environment with all necessary tools, content, and data before contestants arrive. The virtual environment is prepared in advance with correct configurations, eliminating the need for contestants to perform time-consuming setup procedures. Contestants simply access the pre-configured environment through allocated virtual servers, reducing setup time to minimal allocation procedures while maintaining the ability to work with the required configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, in one aspect, a method for developing an asset by competition includes installing and configuring a master software environment for development or testing, and saving a copy of the master software environment as a virtual image suitable for use with a virtual machine. The method also includes receiving indicia of interest in a competition from a competitor, allocating a virtual server to the competitor and configuring the allocated virtual server with a copy of the virtual image, and providing access information for the virtual server to the competitor, thereby facilitating use of the virtual server by the competitor during the competition.