Authenticated Channel Reestablishment for Encryption Modem Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network communication systems face disruptions when control processors managing encryption modems become unavailable, leading to unmanaged states that can cause encrypted communication failures.
Innovation Solution
A local modem detects the unavailability of a control processor and communicates an alarm message via a trusted channel, receiving a reauthentication command to establish a new authenticated channel with a second control processor, ensuring seamless encryption management without disrupting the encrypted traffic channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a control processor is removed or becomes unavailable, then system maintenance and updates can be performed, but the authenticated channel becomes unavailable and the modem enters an unmanaged state causing encryption failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a second authenticated channel with a second control processor before the first control processor is removed. This ensures that when the first CP becomes unavailable, the modem already has an alternative authenticated channel ready, preventing entry into an unmanaged state and maintaining encryption continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides beforehand cushioning by creating redundancy through a second authenticated channel with a second control processor. This cushioning mechanism ensures that if the first authenticated channel fails or becomes unavailable, the modem remains in a managed state with the second channel as a backup, thus preventing encryption failures.
2Device complexity
If the modem remains in an unmanaged state, then the authenticated channel structure is simplified, but the modem becomes unable to perform cryptographic functions
Solution Approach 1:
The second control processor acts as an intermediary that provides authentication and management capabilities to the modem. When the first CP is unavailable, the second CP serves as a mediator to maintain the authenticated channel, enabling the modem to continue performing cryptographic functions without entering an unmanaged state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by switching from relying on a single authenticated channel to maintaining multiple authenticated channels simultaneously. This parameter change allows the modem to remain in a managed state with enhanced redundancy, ensuring cryptographic functions continue to operate even when one control processor becomes unavailable.
3Ease of operation
If a single authenticated channel is used, then the system is easier to manage, but any failure of the control processor causes complete loss of encryption management
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication management function is segmented into multiple independent authenticated channels, each associated with a different control processor. This segmentation allows the system to maintain encryption management continuity by switching to an alternative channel if one control processor fails, while each individual channel remains relatively simple to manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by making each authenticated channel independently functional and self-sufficient. Each control processor can independently manage its own authenticated channel with the modem, allowing local takeover of encryption management functions if one channel becomes unavailable, thereby maintaining overall system reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A control processor (CP) manages authenticated channels for encryption in a communication system. The CP includes a management interface and processing circuitry configured to establish a local authenticated channel with a local modem and to provide encryption parameters enabling the local modem to manage a trusted channel with a remote modem. The CP receives, via the local authenticated channel, an alarm message indicating that the remote modem is in an unmanaged state due to failure of a remote authenticated channel between the remote modem and a first remote CP. In response, the CP generates and communicates a reauthentication command toward the remote modem via the local modem and the trusted channel. The reauthentication command causes the remote modem to reestablish the remote authenticated channel with a second remote CP, optionally using runtime authentication material obtained by the CP from a user or network management server.