Digital Certificate Rollout Using Sandbox Validation and Staged Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network entities in a computing network, such as a virtual cloud network, face challenges in authenticating new digital certificates when a new CA certificate is issued, as existing certificate bundles do not include the new CA certificate, leading to validation issues.

Innovation Solution

A system performs incremental exposure to the execution environment by using a sandbox sub-environment, a testing service, and a production service to test new certificate bundles before full activation, ensuring successful authentication with the new CA certificate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a new CA certificate is issued to network entities, then network security is improved, but existing certificate bundles cannot validate the new digital certificates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork securityVSAvoidcertificate validation compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary testing of new certificate bundles in a sandbox sub-environment before deploying them to the production network. This includes creating test network entities, installing test certificate bundles, and validating certificates in advance to ensure compatibility and prevent validation issues in the live environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The certificate distribution process is segmented into distinct phases: sandbox testing phase and production deployment phase. The sandbox environment is isolated from production, allowing safe testing of new CA certificates before they are activated network-wide, thus maintaining compatibility while enabling security updates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If certificate bundles are updated to include new CA certificates, then authentication capability is improved, but network stability may be compromised during transition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication capabilityVSAvoidnetwork stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary testing of new certificate bundles in a sandbox environment before deploying to production. This includes creating test network entities, installing test certificate bundles, and validating authentication functionality in advance to ensure network stability during the transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sandbox environment serves as an intermediary between the existing production network and the new certificate bundles. It provides a buffer zone where new certificates can be tested without directly impacting production network stability, allowing safe validation before full deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If incremental exposure testing is performed in sandbox environment, then certificate validation reliability is improved, but deployment time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertificate validation reliabilityVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary testing of new certificate bundles in a sandbox environment before production deployment. While this adds initial testing time, it prevents costly rollback and validation failures in production, ultimately improving overall deployment efficiency and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs a complete set of validation tests in the sandbox environment (excessive testing) before production deployment. This thorough testing approach ensures high validation reliability in production, even though it requires more time in the testing phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20260067267A1Orchestrating Distribution Of Digital Certificates To An Execution Environment Of A Computing Network

Publication Date: 2026.03.05 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A system executes a first testing process utilizing a sandbox sub-environment executing in an execution environment of a computing network to perform a first set of testing operations associated with a new certificate bundle that includes a new CA certificate. Responsive to successful testing via the sandbox sub-environment, the new certificate bundle is installed on a host executing in the execution environment. The system utilizes a testing service executing on the host to perform a second set of testing operations associated with the new certificate bundle. Responsive to successful testing via the testing service executing on the host, the new CA certificate is activated in the execution environment by issuing entity certificates to a set of nodes associated with the host for execution against the new CA certificate.