Automated Digital Certificate Injection for Container Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of digital certificates in container-based services is laborious, time-consuming, and inefficient, often requiring manual intervention and redeployment of containers, which hinders the establishment of trusted communication between services and software programs.
Innovation Solution
A system that automates the injection of digital certificates into container storage locations, allowing for efficient deployment without redeploying the container, by storing up-to-date certificates in a memory repository and injecting them into the container upon initialization or update, eliminating the need for configuration maps and volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If digital certificates are deployed in container-based services using manual intervention and configuration maps, then the service can establish trusted communication, but the deployment process becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically injecting digital certificates into container storage locations during container initialization or update events, before the service needs to establish trusted communication. This eliminates the need for manual certificate deployment and reduces deployment time while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically managing certificate deployment without manual intervention. The containerization management system monitors container events and autonomously injects certificates into storage locations, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring human operators for each certificate deployment.
2Ease of manufacture
If digital certificates are deployed by mounting volumes or using configuration maps, then the service can access certificates, but the process requires manual intervention and is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically managing certificate deployment without manual intervention. The containerization management system monitors container events and autonomously injects certificates into storage locations, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring human operators for each certificate deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical operations with automated electronic processes. Instead of manually mounting volumes or configuring maps, the system uses automated event monitoring and programmatic certificate injection, substituting human labor with machine-based automation.
3Reliability
If containers are redeployed to update certificates, then the service can have up-to-date certificates, but the process is time-consuming and disrupts service operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the certificate update process from the container deployment process. By separating certificate management from container lifecycle management, the system can update certificates independently without requiring container redeployment, thus maintaining service continuity while ensuring certificate validity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by injecting certificates into container storage locations during initialization or update events, before the service needs to establish trusted communication. This ensures certificates are current without requiring disruptive redeployment.
4Reliability
If manual intervention is used for certificate deployment, then the process can be controlled, but the deployment becomes laborious and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically managing certificate deployment without manual intervention. The containerization management system monitors container events and autonomously injects certificates into storage locations, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring human operators for each certificate deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring container events (initialization, updates) and automatically responding with certificate injection. This closed-loop approach maintains control over certificate deployment while eliminating manual labor, improving both reliability and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Example techniques for establishing trusted communication with container-based services are described. In an example, a digital certificate stored in a memory is injected from the memory into a container. The container is external to the memory. The digital certificate is usable to establish a trusted communication between a service deployed in the container and a software program.