Method and system for comparing different versions of a cloud based application in a production environment using segregated backend systems

• US 9,245,117 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Weaver, Brett, Godinez, Javier, Brinkley, Capen, Bishop, Thomas, Lietz, M. Shannon, Cabrera, Luis Felipe
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEHNI, GHAZAL B
• Application Number:
  US14/231,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20150278517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3608 using formal methods, e.g. model checking, abstract interpretation theorem proving G06N5/013
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures

Abstract

An application is implemented in the production environment in which the application will be used. Two or more backend systems are used to implement different versions of the application using the production environment in which the application will actually be used and accessed. Actual user data is received. A first portion of the actual user data is routed and processed in the production environment using a first version of the application and a first backend system of the two or more backend systems. A second portion of the actual user data is also routed and processed in the production environment but using a second version of the application and a second backend system of the two or more backend systems. The results data is then analyzed to evaluate the various versions of the application in the production environment.

Claims

1. A system for comparing two versions of a cloud based application in a production environment using segregated backend systems comprising:

one or more processors;

a production environment, wherein the production environment includes one or more production environment components used to implement an application in the production environment selected from the group of production environment components consisting of

one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment, wherein at least one of the one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment is a cloud-based computing environment;

one or more computing systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more virtual assets used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more hypervisors used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications channels used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more firewalls used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more routers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications endpoint proxy systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more access control systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more load balancers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more databases used to implement the application in the production environment; and

one or more services used to implement the application in the production environment; and

at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for comparing two versions of a cloud based application in the production environment using segregated backend systems, the process for comparing the two versions of the cloud based application in the production environment using the segregated backend systems including;

implementing a first version of an application in the production environment;

implementing a second version of an application in the production environment;

providing two or more backend systems associated with the implementation of the first and second versions of the application in the production environment, wherein at least one of the two or more backend systems used to implement the application in the production environment are backend servers implemented in a computing environment that is distinct from the cloud-based computing environment;

receiving actual user data;

routing a first portion of the actual user data representing user data from a first group of users to be processed by the first version of the application using a first backend system of the two or more backend systems;

routing a second portion of the actual user data representing user data from a second group of users to be processed by the second version of the application using a second backend system of the two or more backend systems;

processing the first portion of the actual user data using the first version of the application in the production environment and the first backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the first portion of the actual user data into first portion of actual users'"'"' results data;

processing the second portion of the actual user data using the second version of the application in the production environment and the second backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the second portion of the actual user data into second portion of actual users'"'"' results data; and

analyzing the second portion of actual users'"'"' results data to evaluate the production environment and/or operation of the second version of the application in the production environment.

2. The system for comparing the two versions of the cloud based application in the production environment using the segregated backend systems of claim 1 wherein at least one of the two or more backend systems are implemented in a data center associated with the application.

3. A system for comparing two versions of a cloud based application in a production environment using segregated backend systems comprising:

a first version of an application implemented in a production environment;

a second version of the application implemented in the production environment;

two or more backend systems associated with the implementation of the first and second versions of the application in the production environment, wherein the production environment includes one or more production environment components used to implement an application in the production environment selected from the group of production environment components consisting of;

one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment, wherein at least one of the one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment is a cloud-based computing environment and at least one of the two or more segregated backend systems used to implement the application in the production environment are backend servers implemented in a computing environment that is distinct from the cloud-based computing environment;

one or more computing systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more virtual assets used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more hypervisors used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications channels used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more firewalls used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more routers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications endpoint proxy systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more access control systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more load balancers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more databases used to implement the application in the production environment; and

one or more services used to implement the application in the production environment;

actual user data associated with the application implemented in the production environment;

an A/B routing system;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one of the one or more processors, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for comparing two versions of a cloud based application in a production environment using segregated backend systems, the process for comparing the two versions of the cloud based application in the production environment using the segregated backend systems including;

receiving the actual user data;

routing a first portion of the actual user data representing user data from a first group of users to be processed by the first version of the application using a first backend system of the two or more backend systems;

routing a second portion of the actual user data representing user data from a second group of users to be processed by the second version of the application using a second backend system of the two or more backend systems;

processing the first portion of the actual user data using the first version of the application in the production environment and the first backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the first portion of the actual user data into first portion of actual users'"'"' results data;

processing the second portion of the actual user data using the second version of the application in the production environment and the second backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the second portion of the actual user data into second portion of actual users'"'"' results data; and

analyzing the second portion of actual users'"'"' results data to evaluate the production environment and/or operation of the second version of the application in the production environment.

4. The system for comparing the two versions of the cloud based application in the production environment using the segregated backend systems of claim 3 wherein at least one of the two or more backend systems are implemented in a data center associated with the application.

5. A method for comparing two versions of a cloud based application in a production environment using segregated backend systems comprising:

implementing a first version of an application in a production environment, wherein the production environment includes one or more production environment components used to implement the application in the production environment selected from the group of production environment components consisting of

one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment, wherein at least one of the one or more computing environments used to implement the application in the production environment is a cloud-based computing environment;

one or more computing systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more virtual assets used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more hypervisors used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications channels used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more firewalls used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more routers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more communications endpoint proxy systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more access control systems used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more load balancers used to implement the application in the production environment;

one or more databases used to implement the application in the production environment; and

one or more services used to implement the application in the production environment;

implementing a second version of an application in the production environment;

providing two or more backend systems associated with the implementation of the first and second versions of the application in the production environment, wherein at least one of the two or more backend systems used to implement the application in the production environment are backend servers implemented in a computing environment that is distinct from the cloud-based computing environment;

receiving actual user data;

routing a first portion of the actual user data representing user data from a first group of users to be processed by the first version of the application using a first backend system of the two or more backend systems;

routing a second portion of the actual user data representing user data from a second group of users to be processed by the second version of the application using a second backend system of the two or more backend systems;

processing the first portion of the actual user data using the first version of the application in the production environment and the first backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the first portion of the actual user data into first portion of actual users'"'"' results data;

processing the second portion of the actual user data using the second version of the application in the production environment and the second backend system of the two or more backend systems to transform the second portion of the actual user data into second portion of actual users'"'"' results data; and

analyzing the second portion of actual users'"'"' results data to evaluate the production environment and/or operation of the second version of the application in the production environment.

6. The method for comparing the two versions of the cloud based application in the production environment using the segregated backend systems of claim 5 wherein at least one of the two or more backend systems are implemented in a data center associated with the application.