US Patent 10200246 Importing parameters from nested information-technology blueprints

A blueprint is a program/document that describes a real object and includes the expertise to create and operate that object. Example objects include machines (e.g., computer or server), and systems, such as an e-commerce site, in which computers are nodes or elements. A “parent” blueprint can include, e.g., by reference, a “child” blueprint. Customizable parameters of the child blueprint are imported and instantiated into the parent blueprint so that a developer of the parent blueprint can edit the values of the customizable parameters through an application program interface (API) of the parent blueprint without affecting the child blueprint. When the parent blueprint is deployed, the provisioning of the child blueprint follows the customized parameter values rather than the original values for those parameters. The ability to modify instantiated parameters greatly simplifies the development of complex blueprints.