Visual Service Definition Transformation in Containerized Apps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Transitions between development and production deployments of multi-service containerized applications are complex and time-consuming due to the challenges of modifying deployment instructions and substituting external, virtual, or native application components, leading to fragile and unwieldy orchestration processes.

Innovation Solution

The method involves modifying composition records for orchestration tools, allowing for the substitution of virtual, external, or native application components, and using a creation application to visually represent and configure service definitions on a canvas, which are then transformed into configuration records suitable for deployment, enabling efficient management of service definitions and reducing the complexity of transitions between deployment types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If developers manually modify deployment instructions and substitute application components for transitions between development and production deployments, then the application can be deployed to different environments, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment environment transitionVSAvoidtransition time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically substituting application components before deployment transitions occur. The component substitution mechanism pre-configures the necessary component replacements based on deployment environment parameters, eliminating the need for manual modification during the transition process itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary component substitution mechanism that mediates between the deployment instructions and the application components. This intermediary automatically manages the substitution process, translating high-level deployment requirements into specific component replacements without requiring direct manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment environment transitionVSAvoidorchestration process stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by enabling automatic component substitution based on deployment environment parameters. The orchestration process automatically identifies and substitutes the appropriate application components without requiring manual intervention, reducing human error and improving the reliability and consistency of deployment transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The component substitution mechanism acts as a reliable intermediary that systematically manages the transition process. It ensures consistent application of substitution rules and maintains orchestration integrity by automatically handling component replacements according to predefined deployment configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If visual representation and configuration of service definitions is implemented, then the complexity of managing service definitions is reduced, but additional processing steps are required to transform visual definitions into deployment configurations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice definition managementVSAvoidtransformation process steps

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical processes of service definition management with an automated visual configuration system. The visual interface allows developers to define services through intuitive graphical elements, and the system automatically transforms these visual definitions into deployment configurations, eliminating the need for manual editing of complex configuration files.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The transformation process introduces an intermediary layer that automatically converts visual service definitions into deployment configurations. This intermediary handles the complexity of translation automatically, presenting a simplified visual interface to users while managing the underlying complex transformation processes without requiring user involvement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10346143B2Systems and methods for transforming service definitions in a multi-service containerized application

Publication Date: 2019.07.09 CA TECH INC

AI summary

Provided is a method for a method of transforming service definitions in a multi-service containerized application, including: receiving input, with one or more processors, relating to creation and laying out of a plurality of icons on a canvas, wherein the plurality of icons represent a plurality of containers of a multi-service containerized application; receiving input, with one or more processors, relating to at least one pair of the plurality of containers being communicatively coupled with each other, wherein a visual representation of the coupling of the containers is displayed on the canvas in association with corresponding icons; and saving, with one or more processors, the multi-service containerized application with an assigned name to a catalog, wherein the containers are service components of the multi-service containerized application, and wherein the containers provide isolated user space instances on one or more kernels.