Model-based system provisioning

• US 20060031248A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Mensching, Rob, Outhred, Geoffrey, Hunt, Galen C., Grealish, Kevin, Welland, Robert V., Vinberg, Anders B., Hydrie, Aamer
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers

Abstract

Model-based system provisioning includes accessing a model of an application to be installed in a system and further accessing a model of the system. An installation specification for the application is also generated, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application and the model of the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a model of an application to be installed in a system;

accessing a model of the system; and

generating an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application and the model of the system.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising maintaining both the model of the application and the model of the system in a same system definition model.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installation specification identifies a plurality of computing devices in the system on which the application is to be installed.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices in the system on which the application could be installed.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

generating a record associating each of the plurality of device class installation specifications with one of the plurality of classes of devices.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating comprises:

accessing a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtaining default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

including, in the installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on a computing device of the system during installation of the application on the computing device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating comprises:

accessing a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtaining a default value for a setting from the constraint information page; and

if the default value conflicts with a constraint of one or more other components in the system, then determining a suitable value that is compliant with constraints for the setting and the constraint of the one or more other components in the system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing, prior to generating the installation specification, a logical deployment evaluation to determine whether the application could be installed in the system, the performing comprising comparing constraints associated with the application to constraints associated with other applications installed in the system.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, prior to generating the installation specification, which one or more computing devices of a plurality of computing devices in the system the application is to be installed on.

10. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

generate an application installation specification for an application to be installed on one or more computing devices, the application installation specification being based at least in part on a model of the application and a model that includes the one or more computing devices.

11. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the application installation specification identifies a plurality of computing devices on which the application is to be installed.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices on which the application could be installed; and

include the plurality of device class installation specifications in the application installation specification.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a record associating each of the plurality of device class installation specifications with one of the plurality of classes of devices.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein to generate the application installation specification is to:

access a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtain default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

include, in the application installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on the one or more computing devices during installation of the application on the one or more computing devices.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

perform, prior to generation of the installation specification, a logical deployment evaluation to determine whether the application could be installed on the one or more computing devices, wherein to perform the logical deployment evaluation is to compare constraints associated with the application to constraints associated with other applications installed on the one or more computing devices.

16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

identify, prior to generation of the installation specification, which of the one or more computing devices the application is to be installed on.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

access a model of an application to be installed in a system;

access a model of the system; and

generate an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application and the model of the system.

18. A computing device as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

generating a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices in the system on which the application could be installed.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

generating a record associating each of the plurality of device class installation specifications with one of the plurality of classes of devices.

20. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the generating comprises:

accessing a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtaining default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

including, in the installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on a computing device of the system during installation of the application on the computing device.