Virtual Machine Reassignment for Low-Risk Web Service Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional web service deployment methods are risky due to uncertainty about performance in production environments and labor-intensive rollback processes in case of failures, potentially disrupting service continuity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a low-risk deployment method that involves thorough testing of new web service versions in a separate testing environment, followed by reassignment of virtual machines to production with minimal configuration changes, allowing for reversible deployment and gradual exposure to live traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the new version of the web service is tested in a QA environment and then deployed to production by replacing the old version on VMs in the load balancer rotation, then the web service can be updated with improved functionality, but there remains uncertainty about performance in production and the rollback process becomes labor intensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a reversible deployment mechanism where the new version is packaged with its own configuration and dependencies, allowing it to be deployed without permanently modifying the base VM configuration. This preliminary preparation ensures that if the new version fails, the system can quickly revert to the old version by simply removing the new version's files, without requiring complex configuration restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the deployment into distinct components: the base VM configuration, the new version executable files, and the new version configuration files. This segmentation allows the new version to be deployed as a separate, isolated package that can be independently removed or replaced without affecting the base system or requiring complex configuration changes, thus enabling rapid rollback.
2Adaptability or versatility
If configuration settings are changed during deployment to support the new version, then the new version can be properly configured and integrated, but reversing these changes during rollback becomes complex and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating a self-contained copy of the new version including all necessary configuration files, dependencies, and executable code. This copy is deployed to the VM without requiring permanent modifications to the base system configuration. The new version carries its own configuration parameters, allowing it to be deployed flexibly while maintaining ease of rollback, as removing the copied files restores the original state without complex configuration reversal.
3Reliability
If thorough testing is performed in a separate testing environment before production deployment, then the likelihood of malfunction is reduced, but the deployment process becomes more complex and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing comprehensive testing in a QA environment before production deployment. The new version is thoroughly tested and validated in the QA environment with realistic data and scenarios. Only after successful QA testing is the new version packaged and deployed to production, ensuring performance reliability while maintaining a streamlined deployment process through the use of standardized packaging and deployment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided systems and methods for providing low-risk deployment of a web service. In one implementation, such a method includes testing the web service on one or more virtual machines assigned to a testing environment of the system, and reassigning the one or more virtual machines to a production environment of the system configured to service live traffic for the web service. The method also includes hosting the web service using the same one or more virtual machines used to test the web service.