Authentication Engine for Data Processing Device Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data processing devices face challenges in securely managing their state and preventing unauthorized modifications, especially when receiving operation requests through traditionally secure connections, as existing systems lack robust authentication mechanisms to validate the authenticity of remote entities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an out-of-band manager connected via an always-on in-band connection and an authentication engine that obtains an operation request and authentication token, determines authorized operations, and decides whether to perform the operation based on the authentication token, thereby ensuring only authorized operations are executed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional secure connections are used for receiving operation requests, then connection security is maintained, but authentication of remote entities cannot be validated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an out-of-band manager as an intermediary component that receives operation requests through secure connections and forwards them to the authentication engine. This mediator enables authentication validation without compromising the security of the original connection structure, as the out-of-band manager acts as a trusted bridge between the external requester and the authentication system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into distinct functional modules: the out-of-band manager for receiving requests, the authentication engine for validating tokens, and the operation execution component. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in its function, with the authentication engine focusing solely on validating authentication tokens independently from the connection management responsibilities.
2Reliability
If authentication mechanisms are added to validate remote entities, then authentication security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication engine serves as a specialized intermediary that handles all authentication logic independently. It receives authentication tokens from the out-of-band manager, validates them against stored credentials, and returns authentication results. This separation concentrates complexity in a dedicated module rather than distributing it throughout the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs authentication validation as a preliminary action before executing any operations. The authentication engine validates the authentication token upfront, and only if validation succeeds does the system proceed with operation execution. This preliminary authentication step prevents unauthorized operations without requiring complex continuous verification during operation execution.
3Reliability
If authentication tokens are validated for every operation request, then unauthorized operations are prevented, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication validation is performed as a preliminary action before operation execution. The authentication engine validates the authentication token upfront and determines the authorized operations in advance. This preliminary validation ensures that only authorized operations proceed to execution, preventing unauthorized operations while maintaining efficient processing for authorized requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication engine provides feedback about authentication validity and authorized operations to the out-of-band manager. This feedback mechanism allows the system to quickly determine whether an operation should be executed without requiring complex real-time verification during operation processing, reducing overall processing time for authorized operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A data processing device includes primary resources, an out-of-band manager operably connected to the primary resources via an always-on in-band connection, and an authentication engine. The authentication engine obtains, via the always-on in-band connection, an operation request and an authentication token corresponding to the operation request; in response to obtaining the authentication token: obtains a list of authorized operations using the authentication token; makes a determination that an operation indicated by the operation request is allowable based on the list of authorized operations; and performs the operation based on the determination.