Multi-instance architecture supporting out-of-band delivery of configuration data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020403865-A1
Application number	US-202017013179-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2018
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example embodiment may include a central computational instance, as well as a plurality of computational instances that are configured to execute a software module. The central instance may be configured to deliver updates to configuration data for the software module at a plurality of release times. The embodiment may involve a computing device disposed within a particular instance of the plurality of instances transmitting a request for an out-of-band delivery of the configuration data, where the out-of-band delivery is to be made during a time other than any of the release times, receiving the configuration data from source field(s) of a central database of the central instance, and writing the configuration data to destination field(s) of a local database of the particular instance. The embodiment may also involve executing the software module according to the configuration data stored in the destination field(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
processing circuitry; and memory circuitry, accessible by the processing circuitry, the memory circuitry storing a first database and instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to execute a first computational instance configured to perform operations comprising:
determining one or more source fields of a source table within a second database accessible by a second computational instance, wherein the one or more source fields contain configuration data, and wherein the second computational instance is configured to deliver, from the one or more source fields and according to an update schedule, updates for a software module executing on the first computational instance;
transmitting a request for a delivery of the configuration data contained in the one or more source fields, wherein the delivery is to be made at a time that is outside of the update schedule;
receiving the configuration data from the second computational instance;
writing the configuration data to one or more destination fields of a destination table within the first database; and
executing the software module in accordance with the configuration data stored in the one or more destination fields.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computational instance is disposed within a first managed network operated by a first entity and wherein the second computational instance is disposed within a second managed network operated by a second entity.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computational instance and the second computational instance are disposed within a managed network operated by a first entity.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the update schedule corresponds a particular frequency of releases of configuration data in the second database over a period of time.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computation instance is configured to transmit a second request for a second delivery of second configuration data.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein writing the configuration data to the one or more destination fields comprises:
updating one or more previous versions of the configuration data stored in the one or more destination fields.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
determining that the received configuration data comprises new configuration data for which no previous versions exists in the first database; creating one or more additional destination fields in the destination table for the new configuration data; and writing the new configuration data to the one or more additional destination fields.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first database contains a registry table identifying the one or more source fields of the source table and defining a mapping between the one or more source fields and corresponding destination fields of the destination table, and wherein determining the one or more destination fields of the destination table comprises referring to the registry table to determine the one or more destination fields of the destination table that are mapped to the one or more source fields.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computational instance is associated with a managed network managed by a remote management network platform, and wherein the operations comprise:
determining one or more attributes of at least one software application installed on at least one device within the managed network; determining that the one or more attributes are approved by an entity that operates the managed network for transmission to the second computational instance; and in response to determining that the one or more attributes are approved by the entity, transmitting the one or more attributes to the second computational instance.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more attributes include canonical normalization information corresponding to the at least one software application.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the delivery of the configuration data includes canonical normalization information for the one or more attributes of the at least one software application.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more attributes of the at least one software application comprise a name of the at least one software application, a version of the at least one software application, license information for the at least one software application, or a vendor of the at least one software application, or a combination thereof.

13 . A method comprising:
determining, by a computing device associated with a first computational instance having access to a first database, one or more source fields of a source table within a second database accessible by a second computational instance, wherein the one or more source fields contain configuration data for a software module that, when executed, enables access to a service provided by a remote network management platform, wherein the second computational instance is configured to deliver updates to the configuration data of the software module according to an update schedule, and wherein the first computational instance is configured to execute the software module; transmitting, by the computing device, a request for a delivery of the configuration data contained in the one or more source fields, wherein the delivery is configured to be made at a time that is outside of the update schedule; receiving, by the computing device, the configuration data from the one or more source fields; writing the configuration data to one or more destination fields of a destination table within the first database; and executing, by the computing device, the software module in accordance with the configuration data stored in the one or more destination fields.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first computational instance is disposed within a managed network managed by the remote management network platform, the method comprising:
determining, by the computing device, one or more attributes of at least one software application installed on at least one device within the managed network; determining, by the computing device, that the one or more attributes are approved by an entity that operates the managed network for transmission to the second computational instance; and in response to determining that the one or more attributes are approved by the entity, transmitting, by the computing device, the one or more attributes to the second computational instance.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more attributes include canonical normalization information corresponding to the at least one software application.

16 . A non-transitory, tangible, and computer-readable medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor associated with a first computational instance having access to a first database, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining one or more source fields of a source table within a second database accessible by a second computational instance, wherein the one or more source fields contain configuration data for a software module, and wherein the second computational instance is configured to deliver, according to an update schedule, updates for the software module executing on the first computational instance; transmitting a request for a delivery of the configuration data contained in the one or more source fields, wherein the delivery is to be made at a time that is outside of the update schedule; receiving the co

Assignees

• Servicenow Inc

Inventors

• Bendre Nikhil Prashant
• Bertot German Andres
• Blakeman Colby Andrew

Classifications

• H04L67/1001

  for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers · CPC title

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• H04L41/0813 Primary

  characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings · CPC title

• G06F8/60 Primary

  Software deployment · CPC title

• H04L65/40

  Support for services or applications · CPC title