Patent Issued for System And Method For A Self Service Portal And Automation For Internally Hosted Virtual Server Resources (USPTO 10,652,083)

2020 MAY 25 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventor Washburn, Caleb (Chandler, AZ), filed on December 2, 2016, was published online on May 25, 2020.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,652,083, is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

“Provisioning is a process to prepare nodes of a computer network for new services to network users. Typically, the provisioning process closely monitors the rights of a user attempting to change the network to ensure other users’ privacy and network resource security. Provisioning also ensures compliance with network protocols and minimizes the vulnerability of systems to penetration and abuse while reducing a user’s ability to customize any configurations.

“Cloud-based systems are generally described as providing on-demand self-service to its users. The self-service nature of cloud computing typically lets users edit and obtain cloud services (e.g., configurations, applications, the infrastructure supporting the applications, etc.) without action from a system administrator. A cloud service portal provides this access to system users. Provisioning in cloud-based systems most often occurs when a company transitions its existing applications or new applications to the cloud. However, cloud-based systems often require new applications to be significantly re-engineered before they may be provisioned.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent: “In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for provisioning computer code in a cloud computing system may receive a computer code file at a repository server via a portal interface to an automation service. The computer code file may include a discrete file or package of files corresponding to a complete application or an update for the application for execution on a plurality of cloud computing system nodes. The method may also receive one or more provisioning conditions at the automation service via the portal interface, and send the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system end nodes based on the received provisioning conditions. Further, the method may cause the sent computer code file to be installed on each of the plurality of cloud computing system end nodes.

“In a further embodiment, a computer device may provision computer code in a cloud computing system. The computer device may comprise one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more memories may include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive a computer code file at a repository server via a portal interface to an automation service. The computer code file may include a discrete file or package of files corresponding to a complete application or an update for the application for execution on a plurality of cloud computing system nodes. The instructions, when executed, may also receive one or more provisioning conditions at the automation service via the portal interface, and send the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system end nodes based on the received provisioning conditions. Further, the instructions, when executed, may cause the sent computer code file to be installed on each of the plurality of cloud computing system end nodes.

“In a still further embodiment, a tangible computer-readable medium may include non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for provisioning computer code in a cloud computing system. The instructions may comprise receiving a computer code file at a repository server via a portal interface to an automation service. The computer code file may include a discrete file or package of files corresponding to a complete application or an update for the application for execution on a plurality of cloud computing system nodes. The instructions may also comprise receiving one or more provisioning conditions via the portal at the automation service and sending the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system end nodes based on the received provisioning conditions. Further, the instruction may comprise causing the sent computer code file to be installed on each of the plurality of cloud computing system end nodes.

“The features and advantages described in this summary and the following detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims hereof.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A computer-implemented method for provisioning computer code in a cloud computing system, the method comprising: receiving a computer code file at a server from a first additional computer device; building, by a second additional computer device in response to the first additional computer device uploading the computer code file to the server, a metabase of metadata, wherein the metadata is based upon the computer code file and the metadata describes one or more dependencies of the computer code file; receiving one or more provisioning conditions at the second additional computer device; and sending, based upon the provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, in response to the first additional computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system nodes associated with a cloud computing system so as to provision the computer code in the cloud computing system, wherein the computer code file includes at least one file corresponding to an application for execution on the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first additional computer device executes a portal interface implemented as one of a web-based application executing with a web browser application or a web browser plug-in, and wherein receiving the computer code file at the server includes receiving the computer code file via the portal interface.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more provisioning conditions at the second additional computer device comprises receiving the one or more provisioning conditions at the second additional computer device via a portal interface executed by the first additional computer device.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning conditions identify the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more dependencies of the computer code file include one or more of a data dependency, a flow dependency, an output dependency, or a control dependency.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising updating, in response to the first additional computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, a system administration database using the received one or more provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, wherein the system administration database is coupled to a system administration server configured to provide information about the computer code file to the cloud computing system and to automate repetitive network administrative tasks.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising registering a friendly name and an internet protocol address of the computer code file with a domain name service for the cloud computing system.

“8. A computer device for provisioning computer code in a cloud computing system, the computer device comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: build a metabase of metadata in response to a second computer device uploading a computer code file to a server, wherein the metadata is based upon the computer code file and the metadata describes one or more dependencies of the computer code file; receive one or more provisioning conditions; and send, based upon the provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, in response to the second computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system notes associated with a cloud computing system so as to provision the computer code in the cloud computing system, wherein the computer code file includes at least one file corresponding to an application for execution on the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“9. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the second computer device is configured to execute a portal interface, and wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive the one or more provisioning conditions via the portal interface.

“10. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the provisioning conditions identify the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“11. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the one or more dependencies of the computer code file include one or more of a data dependency, a flow dependency, an output dependency, or a control dependency.

“12. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to update, in response to the second computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, a system administration database using the received one or more provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, wherein the system administration database is coupled to a system administration server configured to provide information about the computer code file to the cloud computing system and to automate repetitive network administrative tasks.

“13. A computer readable storage medium comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for provisioning computer code in a cloud computing system, wherein the instructions when executed on one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: build a metabase of metadata in response to a computer device uploading a computer code file to a server, wherein the metadata is based upon the computer code file and the metadata describes one or more dependencies of the computer code file; receive one or more provisioning conditions; and send, based upon the provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, in response to the computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, the computer code file to a plurality of cloud computing system notes associated with a cloud computing system so as to provision the computer code in the cloud computing system, wherein the computer code file includes at least one file corresponding to an application for execution on the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer device is configured to execute a portal interface, and wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive the one or more provisioning conditions via the portal interface.

“15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the provisioning conditions identify the plurality of cloud computing system nodes.

“16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more dependencies of the computer code file include one or more of a data dependency, a flow dependency, an output dependency, or a control dependency.

“17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to update, in response to the computer device initiating provisioning of the computer code file, a system administration database using the received one or more provisioning conditions and the metabase metadata, wherein the system administration database is coupled to a system administration server configured to provide information about the computer code file to the cloud computing system and to automate repetitive network administrative tasks.”

For more information, see this patent: Washburn, Caleb. System And Method For A Self Service Portal And Automation For Internally Hosted Virtual Server Resources. U.S. Patent Number 10,652,083, filed December 2, 2016, and published online on May 25, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,652,083.PN.&OS=PN/10,652,083RS=PN/10,652,083

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