Managing a deployment of a computing architecture

• US 8,010,777 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nandan, Durgesh, Hu, Shuyi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/824,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 713/100, 709/220, 709/222, 717/176, 717/177
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Embodiments are provided to deploy a number of computing devices based in part on a deployment file, but the embodiments are not so limited. In an embodiment, a dispatch application can be used to deploy a number of computing devices, wherein the deployment includes a number deployment parameters and functions associated with a configuration of the number of computing devices. The dispatch application can be used to deploy a number of computing devices, including virtual devices, logical devices, and other devices and systems. Other embodiments are available.

Claims

1. A computer storage medium not consisting of a propagated data signal and including executable instructions which, when executed, manage aspects of a computing environment by:

receiving a dispatch command associated with a deployment of a plurality of computing devices;

receiving an indication associated with selection of a deployment file to be used in conjunction with the deployment of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the deployment file includes one or more deployment parameters and one or more deployment functions for use in the deployment of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the one or more deployment functions comprise at least an audit function;

executing the audit function on a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices, comprising;

detecting a first set of packages on the first computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a first set of desired packages for the first computing device based on the one or more deployment parameters of the deployment file; and

determining a first package change between the first set of detected packages and the first set of desired packages for the first computing device;

executing the audit function on a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices, comprising;

detecting a second set of packages on the second computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a second set of desired packages for the second computing device based on the one or more deployment parameters of the deployment file; and

determining a second package change between the second set of detected packages and the second set of desired packages for the second computing device, wherein the second package change is different from the first package change; and

deploying the plurality of computing devices according to the deployment file, wherein deploying the plurality of computing devices includes applying the first package change to the first computing device and the second package change to the second computing device.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by deploying a data center computing architecture.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by receiving an indication associated with the selection of a second deployment file to be used in conjunction with the deployment of a plurality of different computing devices, wherein the second deployment file includes one or more different deployment parameters for use in the deployment of the plurality of different computing devices.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by deploying the plurality of computing devices including using the one or more deployment functions to deploy the plurality of computing devices to include the one or more deployment parameters as defined by an XML-based deployment file.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling a load function to load the deployment file in preparing to deploy the one or more computing devices.

6. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling the load function to validate the deployment using a prescribed schema.

7. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling the audit function to audit each of the plurality of computing devices associated with the deployment.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment comprising:

using the audit function to create a delta of an actual state of the computing environment to a desired state of the computing environment, wherein the delta comprises at least one package change; and

creating a plan with the delta.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling a logging function to set a type of logging to be used during the deployment of the plurality of computing devices.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling an impersonate function to override default access credentials.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling a function to execute a load function, a logging function, and the audit function.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling an execute function to deploy the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more deployment parameters and the one or more deployment functions are associated with an XML-based deployment file.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by calling a plan function to upload a plan from a specified location.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, manage aspects of the computing environment by determining whether the deployment is correct before using the plurality of computing devices for a defined purpose.

15. A computer system to manage a computing environment comprising:

a manager component configured to;

define an XML-based deployment file, wherein the XML-based deployment file includes one or more deployment parameters and one or more deployment functions associated with a deployment configuration; and

a dispatch component configured to

use the XML-based deployment file to deploy a plurality of computing devices according to the deployment configuration, wherein using the XML-based deployment file further comprises;

executing an audit function of the one or more deployment functions on a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices, comprising;

detecting a first state of the first computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a first desired state of the first computing device based on the XML-based deployment file; and

determining a first delta between the first detected state and the first desired state of the first computing device;

executing the audit function on a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices, comprising;

detecting a second state of the second computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a second desired state of the second computing device based on the XML-based deployment file; and

determining a second delta between the second detected state and the second desired state of the second computing device, wherein the second delta is different from the first delta;

deploying the first computing device of the plurality of computing devices by applying the first delta to the first computing device;

deploying the second computing device of the plurality of computing devices by applying the second delta to the second computing device.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the dispatch component is further configured to generate logging information based on a type of log setting.

17. A computer-implemented method of configuring a deployment comprising:

loading by a dispatch component an XML-based deployment file including one or more deployment parameters and one or more deployment functions, wherein the one or more deployment parameters and the one or more deployment functions define a computing architecture;

executing an audit function of the one or more deployment functions on a first computing device within the computing architecture, comprising;

detecting a first state of the first computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a first desired state of the first computing device based on the XML-based deployment file; and

determining a first delta between the first detected state and the first desired state of the first computing device;

executing the audit function on a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices, comprising;

detecting a second state of the second computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a second desired state of the second computing device based on the XML-based deployment file; and

determining a second delta between the second detected state and the second desired state of the second computing device, wherein the second delta is different from the first delta;

deploying the computing architecture based in part on the use of the XML-based deployment file, further comprising;

deploying the first computing device by applying the first delta to the first computing device; and

deploying the second computing device by applying the second delta to the second computing device;

determining if the computing architecture is correct; and

using the deployed computing architecture if the computing architecture is correct.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising validating the computing architecture using a defined schema.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising logging information associated with deploying the computing architecture.