Automated Certificate Management System for Server Keystores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tools lack real-time management and automation for digital certificates and signer certificates across disparate servers, leading to inefficiencies in updating expired certificates and potential security vulnerabilities due to manual processes and lack of comprehensive reporting.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a processing device, memory device, and network communication interface that collects data, authenticates to servers with keystores, determines keystore characteristics, verifies certificate expiration, removes expired certificates, and adds new signer certificates, with features for auditing and reporting, enabling centralized management and simultaneous querying of multiple servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual processes are used to manage certificates across disparate servers, then flexibility and adaptability to different server authentication protocols are maintained, but processing efficiency and time consumption deteriorate due to lack of automation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a certificate management tool as an intermediary system that mediates between the user and multiple disparate servers. This tool handles authentication to different servers using various protocols (SSH, SNMP, etc.), collects certificate information, and performs automated expiration checks and renewal operations, thereby automating certificate management while managing the complexity of dealing with multiple server protocols through a unified interface
Solution Approach 2:
The certificate management tool is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse server types and authentication protocols. It can authenticate to different servers using multiple protocols, collect certificate information from various keystores, and perform unified certificate management operations across heterogeneous environments, making the system adaptable without requiring separate tools for each server type
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring of certificate expiration across multiple servers is implemented, then security and reliability are improved, but use of energy and computational resources increases due to continuous data collection and verification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring of certificate expiration dates rather than continuous real-time monitoring. The system collects certificate information and checks expiration dates at scheduled intervals, which maintains reliability by ensuring certificates are monitored regularly while reducing computational resource consumption compared to continuous monitoring approaches
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting certificate information and determining expiration dates in advance, before certificates actually expire. It identifies certificates that will expire within a specified threshold period and proactively manages renewal before expiration occurs, ensuring reliability while avoiding the need for constant real-time monitoring
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive auditing and reporting features are added to track certificate status across servers, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through auditing and reporting features that provide information about certificate status across servers. The system collects data, determines expiration dates, and generates reports that feedback to users about which certificates are approaching expiration or have expired. This feedback enables precise tracking of certificate status while managing complexity through structured reporting rather than requiring complex real-time visualization systems
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide a system for managing security certificates, thereby enabling secure connections between systems. Embodiments collect data; authenticate to a server comprising a keystore comprising a plurality of certificates and having a server configuration; determine keystore characteristics from the server configuration; and, using the keystore characteristics, verify certificate expiration details. The system may determine that at least one certificate in the keystore has expired; and, in response, remove the at least one expired certificate from the keystore of the server. The system may determine that a certificate has expired; receives expired certificate serial number identifying expired certificate; searches for servers storing copies of the expired certificate; determines servers storing copies of the expired certificate; selects one or more of the servers storing copies of the expired certificate; and removes the expired certificate from the selected servers. The system may add the signer certificate to a keystore of the selected servers.