Datacenter configuration management tool

• US 9,998,323 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Chhatwal, Raminder, Nair, Suresh, Sadan, Tal, Shah, Minesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US14/496,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20160092207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates

Abstract

A system may include a first point of deployment (POD) and a second POD at a data center, where each of the first POD and the second POD may be configured to support a first version of a platform template. The first POD may a first set of servers based on a first hardware platform and the second POD may include a second set of servers based on a second hardware platform. A configuration manager may be configured to determine a difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform and generate a second version of the platform template based on the difference between the first hardware platform associated and the second hardware platform. In some cases, the second version of the platform template may be installed on the second POD as part of an upgrade process.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first point of deployment (POD) at a data center communicatively coupled to a network, configured as an active POD comprising;

a first set of servers based on a first hardware platform; and

a first instance of a platform template corresponding the first hardware platform to provide a specified business functionality, wherein the first instance of the platform template comprises a first plurality of server types corresponding to the first set of servers, each of the first plurality of server types including a first plurality of product types; and

each of the first plurality of product types including a first plurality of application types;

configured as a dark POD at the data center, the second POD comprising a second set of servers based on a second hardware platform and comprising a second instance of the platform template different from the first instance of the platform template wherein a first version of a server template of the first instance of the platform template is different than a second version of the server template of the second instance of the platform template;

backup third POD comprising one or more backup servers and a third instance of the platform template, wherein as a backup POD to provide the specified business functionality via the network when the first POD is not in operation, wherein a version of the third instance of the platform template is the same as the version of the first instance of the platform template;

a configuration manager communicatively coupled via the network to the first POD, the second POD, and the third POD, the configuration manager comprising;

a communication interface;

a processor communicatively coupled to the communication interface; and

a non-transitory memory device communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the configuration manager to;

determine, via the network, a difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform; and

generate the second version of the platform template based on the difference between the first hardware platform associated and the second hardware platform, wherein the second version of the platform template comprises a second plurality of server types corresponding to the second set of servers, each of the second plurality of server types including a second plurality of product types; and

each of the second plurality of product types including a second plurality of application types;

install, on the second POD, the second version of the platform template;

test, using live data communicated to the first POD from a plurality of client devices, operation of the second POD with the second version of the platform template in parallel with normal operation of the first POD with the first version of the platform template; and

switch the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD upon completion of the testing with a specified test condition by deactivating the first POD and activating the second POD to provide the specified business functionality using the second instance of the platform template, wherein downtime from the switching of the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD is under two minutes and wherein upon activation of the second POD, the first POD is configured as the backup POD, the second POD is configured as the active POD and the third POD is configured as the dark POD to be configured with an updated version of the platform template.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises a difference in a server type.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the difference in the server type comprises a difference in at least one of a server manufacturer, a processor type, or a memory device associated with the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises an operating system difference.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operating system difference comprises a difference in an operating system version or an operating system type.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises a difference in a server type and an operating system difference.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the configuration manager to:

identify the first hardware platform associated with the first POD;

determine, based on the first hardware platform, whether a version of the platform template exists in a platform template data repository and corresponds to the first hardware platform; and

if not, generate the first version of the platform template based on the identified first hardware platform.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the configuration manager to:

determine whether each of a plurality of application components associated with the platform template are operational on a same hardware platform; and

if not generate a third version of the platform template comprising a first set of applications associated with a first server type and a second set of applications associated with a second server type.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of applications support a first operating system and the second set of applications support a second operating system.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of applications support a first server hardware and the second set of applications support a second operating system.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to a communication interface to communicate via a network; and

a non-transitory memory device communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause a configuration management device to;

determine whether an application associated with a platform template has been upgraded;

if so, determine whether each application associated with the platform template supports a first hardware platform;

determine a second hardware platform when one or more applications do not support the first hardware platform; and

generate a first version of the platform template comprising a first set of applications associated with a first hardware platform and a second set of applications associated with the second hardware platform to provide a specified business functionality, wherein an upgraded application is included in either the first set of applications or the second set of applications, wherein the first version of the platform template comprises a first plurality of server types corresponding to the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform, each of the first plurality of server types including a first plurality of product types; and

each of the first plurality of product types including a first plurality of application types;

install a first instance of the first version of the platform template on a first point of deployment (POD), wherein configured as an active POD includes a first server type for running the first set of applications and a second server type for running the second set of applications;

generate a second version of the platform template corresponding to an update of a component associated with one of the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform;

install a second instance of the second version of the platform template on a third hardware platform associated with a second POD configured as a dark POD, wherein the third hardware platform includes the update to the component associated with one of the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform;

install a third instance of the first version of the platform template on a backup third POD comprising one or more backup servers, wherein as a backup POD to provide the specified business functionality via the network when the first POD is not in operation;

test, using live data communicated to the first POD from a plurality of client devices, operation of the second POD with the second version of the platform template in parallel with normal operation of the first POD; and

switch the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD the testing with of a specified test condition by deactivating the first POD and activating the second POD to provide the specified business functionality using the second instance of the platform template, wherein downtime from the switching of the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD is under two minutes and wherein upon activation of the second POD, the first POD is configured as the backup POD, the second POD is configured as the active POD and the third POD is configured as the dark POD to be configured with an updated version of the platform template.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

identify a hardware platform associated with the second POD at a data center for providing a business function;

determine a difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform; and

generate the second version of the platform template based on the difference between the first hardware platform associated and the second hardware platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

identify a difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform, wherein a difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises a difference in a server type.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the difference in the server type comprises a difference in at least one of a server manufacturer, a processor type, or a memory device associated with the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises an operating system difference.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operating system difference comprises a difference in an operating system version or an operating system type.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the difference between the first hardware platform and the second hardware platform comprises a difference in a server type and an operating system difference.

18. A method comprising:

identifying by a configuration manager via a network, a first version of a platform template associated with a first instance of the platform template installed on a first point of deployment (POD), wherein as an active POD to provide a business function to a user, wherein the first version of the platform template comprises a first plurality of server types, each of the first plurality of server types including a first plurality of product types; and

each of the first plurality of product types including a first plurality of application types;

determining, by the configuration manager, whether a component of the platform template has been upgraded;

identifying, by the configuration manager, a hardware version of a second dark POD, wherein configured as a dark POD is used for upgrading the platform template;

generating, by a template generator, a second instance of a second version of the platform template, wherein the second version of the platform template corresponds to at least one of an upgraded component or the hardware version of the second POD, wherein the second version of the platform template comprises a second plurality of server types, each of the second plurality of server types including a second plurality of product types; and

each of the second plurality of product types including a second plurality of application types; and

installing, by the configuration manager, the second version of the platform template on the second POD;

installing a third instance of the first version of the platform template on a backup third POD comprising one or more backup servers, wherein as a backup POD to provide a specified business functionality via the network when the first POD is not in operation;

testing, by a testing computing system, using live data communicated to the first POD from a plurality of client devices, operation of the second POD with the second version of the platform template in parallel with normal operation of the first POD; and

switching, by a switching tool, the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD upon completion of the testing with a specified test condition by deactivating the first POD and activating the second POD to provide the specified business functionality using the second instance of the platform template, wherein downtime from the switching of the normal operation from the first POD to the second POD is under two minutes and wherein upon activation of the second POD, the first POD is configured as the backup POD, the second POD is configured as the active POD and the third POD is configured as the dark POD to be configured with an updated version of the platform template.