Configuration management repository for a distributed platform

• US 9,009,277 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EdgeCast Networks (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Robert J., Elazary, Lior, Sakata, Jayson G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/058,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a repository that manages configurations for a distributed platform and that automatedly configures servers of the distributed platform with different hierarchical sets of configurations while ensuring integrity and consistency across the servers and in the repository. In some embodiment, the repository includes a data store that stores configurations for a first set of servers that are operated by a first service provider and a second set of servers that are operated by a second service provider. The data store also identifies different sets of configurations to deploy to different sets of servers from the first and second sets of servers. The repository also includes a function processor to automatedly deploy the different sets of configurations to the different sets of servers and to perform functions for updating the configurations in a manner that ensures integrity and consistency.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of server configurations that are deployed across a plurality of servers, the method comprising:

with a computer having at least one processor and non-transitory computer readable storage;

storing the plurality of server configurations to the non-transitory computer readable storage;

tracking different subsets of the plurality of servers to which each of the plurality of server configurations is deployed;

receiving a modification to a first server configuration of the plurality of server configurations;

identifying a subset of the plurality of servers that operate according to the first server configuration;

modifying operation of the subset of the plurality of servers by automatedly deploying the first server configuration with the modification from the non-transitory computer readable storage to each server of the subset of the plurality of servers; and

deploying a second server configuration of the plurality of configurations to the subset of the plurality of servers to run concurrently with the first server configuration, wherein the first server configuration directs caching and delivery operation of the subset of the plurality of servers for content of a first content provider and the second server configuration directs caching and delivery operation of the subset of the plurality of servers for content of a second content provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of servers provide caching and delivery of content on behalf of a plurality of content providers, and wherein any specific server configuration of the plurality of server configurations specifies different content caching and delivery operation for a subset of servers that is deployed with the specific server configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying operation of the subset of the plurality of servers comprises modifying content caching and delivery functions of the subset of the plurality of servers according to the modification of the first server configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring performance of the subset of the plurality of servers when operating according to the first server configuration without the modification and when operating according to the first server configuration with the modification.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising automatically redeploying the first server configuration without the modification when the performance of the subset of the plurality of servers is better without the modification to the first server configuration than with the modification.

6. A server configuration management repository for managing and deploying server configurations across a plurality of servers of a distributed platform that provide content caching and content delivery on behalf of a plurality of distributed platform customers, the server configuration management repository comprising:

non-transitory computer-readable storage storing (i) a plurality of different versions for a particular server configuration, each version of the plurality of different versions modifying some aspect of content caching and delivery operation specified in the particular server configuration and (ii) for each particular version of the plurality of different versions, storing at least one metric measuring content caching and delivery performance of a set of servers when the set of servers are deployed with the particular version of the particular server configuration; and

a processor operable to (i) deploy an updated version of the particular server configuration that modifies content caching and delivery operation of the set of servers operating according to a previous version of the particular server configuration, (ii) compare metrics measuring content caching and delivery performance of the set of servers when operating with the updated version of the particular server configuration and when operating with the previous version of the particular server configuration, and (iii) redeploy the set of servers with the previous version of the particular server configuration when content caching and delivery performance from the previous version of the particular server configuration exceeds content caching and delivery performance from the updated version of the particular server configuration.

7. The server configuration management repository of claim 6 further comprising a network interface over which to deploy the particular server configuration to the set of servers.

8. The server configuration management repository of claim 6, wherein the processor is further operable to execute a first user function, wherein executing the first user function comprises producing a copy of the particular server configuration on a user machine from a master instance of the particular server configuration that is stored to the non-transitory computer-readable storage.

9. The server configuration management repository of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to execute a second user function, wherein executing the second user function comprises generating the updated version of the particular server configuration in the non-transitory computer-readable storage by merging a user provided modification to the master instance of the particular server configuration.

10. The server configuration management repository of claim 6, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage further stores a mapping that identifies the set of servers from a plurality of servers that are to be deployed with the particular server configuration.

11. A configuration management repository for managing a plurality of configurations that are deployed across a plurality of servers of a distributed platform, the configuration management repository comprising:

a network interface coupled to the plurality of servers;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage storing;

the plurality of configurations;

a plurality of mappings identifying different sets of the plurality of servers to which each configuration of the plurality of the configurations is deployed, each configuration specifying different operational parameters for a set of servers that is deployed with that configuration; and

a computer program configuring the processor to;

receive a modification to a first configuration of the plurality of configurations that specifies operational parameters configured for a first distributed platform customer;

retrieve a particular mapping for the first configuration from the plurality of mappings, the particular mapping identifying a set of servers from the plurality of servers to which said first configuration is deployed; and

automatedly deploy the first configuration comprising the received modification to the set of servers and a second configuration of the plurality of configurations that specifies operational parameters configured for a different second distributed platform customer to the set of servers to run concurrently with the first server configuration, wherein the first server configuration directs content caching and delivery operation of the set of servers for content of the first distributed platform customer and the second server configuration directs content caching and delivery operation of the set of servers for content of the second distributed platform customer.

12. The configuration management repository of claim 11, wherein the operational parameters specify custom content caching and delivery operation.

13. The configuration management repository of claim 11, wherein the computer program further configures the processor to obtain timestamps indicating status of the deployment of the first configuration to each server of the set of servers.

14. The configuration management repository of claim 11, wherein the computer program further configures the processor to perform a syntax check of the first configuration and withholding deployment of the first configuration if an error is found during the syntax check.

15. The configuration management repository of claim 11, wherein the computer program further configures the processor to simulate the first configuration prior to deploying the first configuration to the set of servers.

16. The configuration management repository of claim 11, wherein the computer program further configures the processor to monitor performance of the set of servers when configured with the first configuration without the modification and when configured with the first configuration with the modification.