Access Management Tags for Flexible Resource Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Access management systems face challenges in efficiently granting and updating access to resources, as existing access control lists are inflexible and difficult to manage, making it hard for administrators to quickly grant access to new resources or update access for existing ones.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an access management system that uses tags, which are metadata key-value pairs, to control access by assigning them to users and resources, allowing administrators to easily manage access by creating, modifying, or removing tags, and using them to determine access privileges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If access control lists are used to control access to resources, then access security is maintained, but administrative flexibility and ease of managing access rights deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional access control approach by changing the parameter representation from detailed access control lists to simplified tag metadata. Instead of managing complex permission sets, administrators assign simple key-value tag pairs to users and resources, fundamentally altering how access rights are defined and managed.
Solution Approach 2:
The tag-based system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides access control, enables resource categorization, supports auditing, and facilitates policy management. A single tag assignment can influence multiple access decisions across different resources, reducing the need for separate management mechanisms.
2Productivity
If traditional access control lists are used, then access security is ensured, but the time required to grant or update access rights increases
Solution Approach 1:
Administrators pre-define tag schemas and assign tags to users and resources in advance. When access decisions need to be made, the system has already processed and organized the tag information, enabling rapid access control evaluations without requiring real-time complex list processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified tag representations that copy the essential access control information from complex access control lists. These tag copies can be quickly processed and compared, significantly reducing the computational and temporal overhead of access management operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If access control lists are implemented, then comprehensive access control is achieved, but the flexibility to quickly update access rights deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tag-based system enables dynamic access management where tags can be easily added, removed, or modified without restructuring the entire access control framework. This dynamic approach allows administrators to quickly adapt access rights in response to changing organizational needs while maintaining system integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Tags may be used in decisions by an access management service regarding access of computing resources (“resources”) by principals (e.g., users, roles, etc.). The tags may also be used to determine cost information, for grouping resources and/or principals, and for other reasons. The tags may be assigned to principals, to resources, or both. The resource may be a virtual or physical type of computing resource. Tags may be metadata, which may include a key-value pair. Tags may include email addresses, cost centers, project identifiers, location, team name, etc. The value may be a number, letters, or a combination of both. In some embodiments, the values may be limited to certain numbers or bytes, and some numbers and/or letter combinations may be excluded for special use.