Centralized Policy Management for Access Control Conflict Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack effective mechanisms to manage and enforce access controls across multiple applications and resources, leading to conflicts and inconsistencies, particularly in scenarios requiring strict compliance with organizational policies and conflict-of-interest prevention.
Innovation Solution
A centralized policy management system that includes a Policy Management Application, Policy Database, Policy Engine, and Change Detection System, which allows for the creation, storage, and enforcement of policies across multiple applications, resolving conflicts through domain-based behaviors and actions to ensure consistent access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If access controls are managed individually in each application, then each application can have customized access control mechanisms, but conflicts and inconsistencies arise across multiple applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments access control management into a centralized policy store separate from individual applications. Policies are defined once in the central store and automatically distributed to multiple applications, eliminating conflicts while maintaining customized access control through application-specific implementations of unified policies
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized policy management system as an intermediary between users and multiple applications. This intermediary resolves conflicts by providing a single source of truth for access control policies, mediating between the need for customization and the need for consistency across applications
2Reliability
If access controls are manually configured in each application, then detailed control is possible, but the system becomes complex and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts access control policy definition from individual applications and consolidates it in a centralized policy store. This extraction simplifies management by removing the complexity of configuring access controls in multiple applications while maintaining detailed control through comprehensive policy coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized policy management system serves multiple applications simultaneously, providing universal access control enforcement. The system can be implemented in various applications without requiring separate configuration in each, reducing overall system management complexity while maintaining detailed control capabilities
3Ease of manufacture
If existing access control mechanisms are used without centralized management, then implementation is straightforward, but conflicts of interest and policy violations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by defining and storing access control policies before they are needed. Policies are pre-configured in the central store with conflict resolution rules, allowing applications to automatically enforce appropriate access controls without ad-hoc configuration, thereby preventing conflicts of interest while maintaining implementation ease
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for centralized management of policies and access controls which provide for the storing and managing of business rules and elements of policy, and for implementing the rules and policy across heterogeneous business systems. Where rules and policies may conflict in certain cases, mechanisms for reconciling such conflicts may be provided.