VM Replica Synchronization for Isolated Enterprise Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face challenges in managing third-party software support due to time delays, confidentiality issues, and risks associated with remote access to their data assets during system failures or updates, especially when third-party support staff needs unfettered access to their customized online services.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for system support replication that allows enterprises to control the level of data sharing with a virtual machine replica, enabling third-party support staff to work offline and isolated from the live system, ensuring data security and reducing support time through real-time synchronization and customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If third-party support staff remotely access the enterprise site servers to capture a replica of the third-party products, then support issues can be investigated and resolved, but network bandwidth is degraded and the third-party products may be offline during the transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the enterprise system into a live production environment and an isolated replica environment. The replica is created as a separate copy that can be accessed by support staff without affecting the live system, allowing support activities to occur in parallel without degrading network bandwidth or causing outages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a replica copy of the third-party product environment that mirrors the live system's configuration, data, and functionality. This copy allows support staff to investigate and test issues without accessing the live production servers, thereby maintaining network bandwidth availability while enabling support resolution.
2Ease of repair
If third-party support staff access the enterprise site to work on customized products, then support can be provided for customized issues, but time delays and confidentiality issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary replica environment that sits between the enterprise's live system and the third-party support staff. The replica serves as a mediator that allows support staff to access and work on customized configurations without directly accessing the enterprise's internal networks or data, thereby reducing time delays while maintaining security and confidentiality.
Solution Approach 2:
The replica is pre-configured with the same customized settings, data, and environment as the live enterprise system before support issues arise. This preliminary setup allows support staff to immediately begin work on customized product issues without time delays for configuration or data access setup.
3Productivity
If the live online third-party product is modified in real time by third-party support staff, then support issues can be resolved quickly, but risks associated with corruption of or missing portions of live data assets increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a replica copy of the third-party product environment that can be modified independently of the live system. Support staff can perform testing, debugging, and configuration changes on the replica without risking corruption or loss of live data assets, as the replica serves as an isolated workspace that does not directly affect the production environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The replica environment serves as a protective buffer or cushion between support activities and the live system. By performing all modifications, testing, and experimentation on the replica first, the system prevents potential data corruption or loss from affecting the live production environment, thereby maintaining data integrity while enabling rapid support resolution.
Data Source
AI summary
An agent and a configuration interface permit custom-level customizations for synchronizing a replica of an enterprise system over a network connection with a replicator. The replicator produces the replica as a Virtual Machine (VM) that is maintained on a portal server that is remote from an enterprise server that hosts the enterprise system.