Virtualized Inventory Snapshot Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Reconstructed virtualized computer inventories may not accurately replicate the original due to errors during reconstruction, often based on erroneous topology and configuration settings, necessitating verification to ensure accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the retrieval and analysis of snapshots of both the original and reconstructed inventories to verify hierarchical relationships, configuration settings, roles, permissions, and custom fields, ensuring that the reconstructed inventory matches the original.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If inventory reconstruction is performed based on stored topology and configuration data, then inventory migration and replication capabilities are improved, but accuracy and reliability of the reconstructed inventory deteriorate due to potential errors in reconstruction processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinventory migration capabilityVSAvoidreconstruction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a verification process that queries the reconstructed inventory to retrieve topology and configuration data, then compares it against the original stored data. This feedback mechanism identifies discrepancies and errors in the reconstruction process, allowing administrators to verify accuracy before deploying the reconstructed inventory to production environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs verification operations before final deployment of the reconstructed inventory. By retrieving and comparing data in advance, the system identifies potential errors early in the process, preventing propagation of incorrect configurations to production systems and ensuring reliability before commitment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive verification of hierarchical relationships and configuration settings is performed, then reconstruction accuracy is improved, but time and computational resources required for verification increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification accuracyVSAvoidverification time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the verification process into distinct segments: retrieving topology data, retrieving configuration data, comparing topology relationships, and comparing configuration settings. This segmentation allows the system to methodically verify different aspects of the inventory reconstruction independently, improving thoroughness while organizing the verification workflow efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9063768B2Method and apparatus for comparing configuration and topology of virtualized datacenter inventories

Publication Date: 2015.06.23 VMWARE INC

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a method of verifying that a reconstructed inventory of a virtualized computer system has been accurately reproduced from an original inventory of a virtualized computer system. A first snapshot and a second snapshot are received, where the first snapshot is a snapshot of the original inventory and the second snapshot is a snapshot of the reconstructed inventory. The first snapshot and the second snapshot are then analyzed to determine that hierarchical relationships, roles and permissions, configuration settings, and/or custom definitions of items in the original inventory match hierarchical relationships of corresponding items in the reconstructed inventory.