Digital Certificate Rollout Testing for CA Certificate Updates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to effectively address the distribution and validation of digital certificates in a computing network, particularly in virtual cloud networks, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and disruptions during certificate updates.

Innovation Solution

A system orchestrates testing processes for new digital certificates by issuing and distributing them alongside the current certificates, ensuring seamless transition and validation before superseding the current certificates, thereby maintaining network security and minimizing disruptions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If new digital certificates are distributed to network entities, then certificate validation and network security are improved, but system downtime and disruption increase during the transition process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork securityVSAvoiddowntime during certificate update

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments network entities into two distinct groups: a first set of network entities that receive and use the new digital certificate bundle, and a second set that continues to use the existing certificate bundle. This segmentation allows the new certificate to be introduced without forcing all entities to go offline simultaneously, thereby reducing overall system downtime while maintaining security improvements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by first distributing the new digital certificate bundle to a subset of network entities (the first set) before fully deploying it across the entire network. This staged preliminary deployment allows for validation and troubleshooting of the new certificate mechanism without disrupting the entire network, thus minimizing downtime during the full transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If digital certificates are distributed to network entities, then authentication security is improved, but complexity of certificate management increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidcertificate management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides network entities into distinct sets (first set receiving new certificates, second set retaining old certificates), which simplifies management by allowing controlled, phased deployment. This segmentation enables administrators to manage the transition process systematically rather than attempting to update all entities simultaneously, reducing the complexity of certificate management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a certificate authority (CA) as an intermediary that manages the distribution of new digital certificate bundles. The CA acts as a mediator between the certificate issuance system and network entities, handling the complexity of certificate validation, distribution, and transition coordination, thereby reducing the operational complexity faced by individual network entities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If new CA certificates supersede previous CA certificates, then security validation is improved, but disruption to ongoing communications increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity validationVSAvoidcommunication disruption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments network entities into a first set that adopts the new CA certificate and a second set that continues using the old CA certificate. This allows new security validation to be implemented for portions of the network while maintaining backward compatibility and avoiding disruption to communications relying on the existing certificate infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system ensures continuity of useful action by allowing the second set of network entities to continue using the previous CA certificate bundle without interruption. This maintains ongoing communications and security validations for those entities while the first set transitions to the new certificate, thereby avoiding disruption to overall network communications during the security update.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250373447A1Orchestrating Testing Of Digital Certificates In An Execution Environment Of A Computing Network

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A system utilizes testing configurations for network entities to orchestrate a testing process that includes, in response to receiving a first configuration update, rolling forward a first testing configuration at least by configuring the first testing configuration to indicate that a certificate issuance process is to use a new CA certificate for issuing entity certificates for a network entity. Additionally, the testing process includes, in response to receiving a second configuration update, rolling back the first testing configuration at least by configuring the first testing configuration to indicate that the certificate issuance process is to revert back to using a current CA certificate for issuing entity certificates for the first network entity.