CSR: Small: Practical methods for removing latent configuration errors in cloud platforms

CSR：小：消除云平台中潜在配置错误的实用方法

• 批准号: 1526966
• 负责人: Yuanyuan Zhou
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-15 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1526966&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CSR; Small; Practical; methods; removing

Configuration errors are a major cause for computer failures. A special type of configuration error called latent configuration errors, often has the highest severity and causes many serious, wide spread outages in data centers and cloud infrastructures, which affects millions of customers. These configuration errors are prevalent and expensive to troubleshoot, and can result in millions of dollars in business losses. This project addresses this important latent configuration problem that has caused many data center-wide outages in various cloud platforms. The methods developed by this project will significantly reduce the amount of severe data center-wide outages and improving the availability of cloud services and applications. Building on previous research experience in studying thousands of real world configuration errors in data centers, this project tackles this important latent configuration error problem via three practical and innovative research thrusts: (1) Automatically build configuration checkers to detect latent configuration errors at early stage before rolling out to thousands of nodes in data centers; (2) Design and build on-site configuration validation utility to allow data center administrators easily validate their configuration settings, especially those complex, latent ones; and (3) Improve configuration design to make them less prone to errors. The first research thrust observes the hidden validation checks in usages and develops automatic ways to separate the checks from the latent usages. The second research thrust is more fundamental as it aims to systematically simplify the configuration space to reduce configuration errors. The third thrust enables data center administrators to have more control of their configurations. In addition, various educational and outreach activities for students, especially women students in computer science.

配置错误是计算机故障的主要原因。一种称为潜在配置错误的特殊类型的配置错误通常具有最高的严重性，并会导致数据中心和云基础设施中许多严重的、广泛的中断，从而影响数百万客户。这些配置错误非常普遍，而且故障排除成本高昂，可能会导致数百万美元的业务损失。该项目解决了这一重要的潜在配置问题，该问题已导致各种云平台中的许多数据中心范围内的中断。该项目开发的方法将显着减少数据中心范围内的严重中断数量，并提高云服务和应用程序的可用性。基于之前研究数据中心中数千个现实世界配置错误的研究经验，该项目通过三个实用和创新的研究重点来解决这一重要的潜在配置错误问题：（1）自动构建配置检查器以在早期阶段检测潜在配置错误。推广到数据中心的数千个节点； (2) 设计和构建现场配置验证实用程序，使数据中心管理员能够轻松验证其配置设置，特别是那些复杂的、潜在的配置设置； (3)改进配置设计，使其不易出错。第一个研究重点是观察使用中隐藏的验证检查，并开发自动方法将检查与潜在使用分开。第二个研究主旨更为基础，因为它旨在系统地简化配置空间以减少配置错误。第三个推动力使数据中心管理员能够更好地控制其配置。 此外，还为学生，特别是计算机科学领域的女学生开展各种教育和外展活动。