Network resource deployment for cloud-based services

• US 9,338,067 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Vendrow, Vlad
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US14/546,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/203, 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

Techniques are described which simplify and/or automate many of the tasks associated with the configuration, deployment, and management of network resources to support cloud-based services.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a plurality of services in a network, comprising:

receiving input entered in a graphical user interface with one or more computing devices via the network;

using the one or more computing devices and the input, defining one or more environments for deployment in the network including, for each environment, specifying a plurality of components configured to provide one or more of the services, and, for each environment, specifying a set of dependencies among its components;

using the one or more computing devices, selecting computing resources from a pool of available computing resources;

using the one or more computing devices, deploying the one or more environments in the network according to configuration information by integrating the components of the one or more environments with the selected computing resources, including deploying the services using the configuration information in an order that relates to one or more of the dependencies; and

providing the services via the deployed one or more environments using the selected computing resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying the one or more environments includes deploying a first set of the services synchronously, and deploying a second set of the services asynchronously with respect to each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more environments include a common environment and a plurality of service environments, at least some of the components of the common environment being shared among the plurality of service environments, the dependencies of each of the service environments also including dependencies between at least one of the one or more components of the service environment and at least one of the one or more components of the common environment, wherein deploying the environments includes deploying a first set of the services corresponding to the common environment prior to deploying additional sets of the services corresponding to the service environments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the services comprise a plurality of sets of the services, and wherein the configuration information specifies an order in which the sets of the services are deployed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the services comprise a plurality of sets of the services, the method further comprising modifying operation of a first set of the services without affecting provision of other sets of the services.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying operation of the first set of the services comprises starting or stopping operation of:

a resource associated with the first set of the services, a component associated with the first set of the services, a service included in the first set of the services, the first set of the services, or a first environment corresponding to the first set of the services.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying operation of the first set of the services comprises stopping operation of the first set of the services, the method further comprising migrating a population of users from the first set of the services to a second set of the services prior to stopping operation of the first set of the services.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying operation of the first set of the services comprises stopping operation of a first component or a first resource associated with the first set of the services, and replacing the first component or the first resource with an updated version of the first component or the first resource.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information specifies one or more network resource types for a first one of the services, the network resource types including hardware resources and virtual resources.

10. A system for providing a plurality of services in a network, the system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive input entered in a graphical user interface via the network;

use the input to define one or more environments for deployment in the network including, for each environment, specifying a plurality of components configured to provide one or more of the services, and, for each environment, specifying a set of dependencies among its components;

select computing resources from a pool of available computing resources;

deploy the one or more environments in the network according to configuration information by integrating the components of the one or more environments with the selected computing resources, the one or more computing devices also being configured to deploy the one or more environments by deploying the services using the configuration information in an order that relates to one or more of the dependencies; and

provide the services via the deployed one or more environments using the selected computing resources.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to deploy the one or more environments by deploying a first set of the services synchronously, and deploying a second set of the services asynchronously with respect to each other.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more environments include a common environment and a plurality of service environments, at least some of the components of the common environment being shared among the plurality of service environments, the dependencies of each of the service environments also including dependencies between at least one of the one or more components of the service environment and at least one of the one or more components of the common environment, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to deploy the environments by deploying a first set of the services corresponding to the common environment prior to deploying additional sets of the services corresponding to the service environments.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the services comprise a plurality of sets of the services, and wherein the configuration information specifies an order in which the sets of the services are deployed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the services comprise a plurality of sets of the services, the one or more computing devices being further configured to modify operation of a first set of the services without affecting provision of other sets of the services.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to modify operation of the first set of the services by starting or stopping operation of:

a resource associated with the first set of the services, a component associated with the first set of the services, a service included in the first set of the services, the first set of the services, or a first environment corresponding to the first set of the services.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to modify operation of the first set of the services by stopping operation of the first set of the services, the one or more computing devices being further configured to migrate a population of users from the first set of the services to a second set of the services prior to stopping operation of the first set of the services.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to modify operation of the first set of the services by stopping operation of a first component or a first resource associated with the first set of the services, and replacing the first component or the first resource with an updated version of the first component or the first resource.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuration information specifies one or more network resource types for a first one of the services, the network resource types including hardware resources and virtual resources.

19. A computer program product for providing a plurality of services in a network, comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer program instructions stored therein which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to:

receive input entered in a graphical user interface via the network;

use the input to define one or more environments for deployment in the network including, for each environment, specifying a plurality of components configured to provide one or more of the services, and, for each environment, specifying a set of dependencies among its components;

select computing resources from a pool of available computing resources;

deploy the one or more environments in the network according to configuration information by integrating the components of the one or more environments with the selected computing resources, the computer program instructions also being configured to cause the one or more computing devices to deploy the one or more environments by deploying the services using the configuration information in an order that relates to one or more of the dependencies; and

provide the services via the deployed one or more environments using the selected computing resources.

20. An apparatus for providing a plurality of services in a network, comprising:

means for receiving input entered in a graphical user interface via the network;

means for using the input to define one or more environments for deployment in the network including, for each environment, specifying a plurality of components configured to provide one or more of the services, and, for each environment, specifying a set of dependencies among its components;

means for selecting computing resources from a pool of available computing resources;

means for deploying the one or more environments in the network according to configuration information by integrating the components of the one or more environments with the selected computing resources, including deploying the services using the configuration information in an order that relates to one or more of the dependencies; and

means for providing the services via the deployed one or more environments using the selected computing resources.