Cloud Gateway Security-Service Readiness Checks Before Traffic Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to verify the functionality and health of security services deployed in service chains within cloud networks, leading to potential security breaches and inefficiencies in data path management.
Innovation Solution
A network gateway is configured as a service hub to verify the functionality and health of security services by sending test network traffic through a specified port, using a security boundary rule to determine if the service meets functionality and health thresholds, and redirecting traffic only when these criteria are met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security services are inserted in service chains without verification, then security coverage is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to potential security breaches from non-functional services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing health check mechanisms that verify security service functionality before traffic is redirected to them. The gateway performs verification operations (such as sending test packets or checking service status) to ensure services are operational and meet security requirements before allowing them to handle production traffic, thus preventing security breaches from non-functional services.
2Reliability
If traffic is redirected to security services without health verification, then security enforcement is improved, but network efficiency deteriorates due to bandwidth waste on non-functional services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the gateway continuously monitors the health status of security services and uses this information to dynamically control traffic redirection. Health check results provide feedback that determines whether traffic should be redirected to a particular security service, ensuring that bandwidth is not wasted on non-functional services while maintaining security enforcement on operational ones.
3Measurement precision
If health check mechanisms are implemented, then service functionality verification is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a gateway as a mediator between traffic sources and security services. The gateway implements the health check mechanism and acts as an intermediary that verifies service functionality before allowing traffic to reach the security services, thereby isolating the complexity of verification from the security services themselves while maintaining precise service health detection.
4Productivity
If security services are deployed without operational verification, then deployment speed is improved, but security posture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains deployment speed by implementing health checks as a preliminary action that occurs automatically during or immediately after service deployment. The verification process is integrated into the deployment workflow, allowing services to be deployed quickly while ensuring they meet minimum functionality requirements before handling traffic, thus not significantly impacting deployment productivity while improving security posture.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for utilizing a network gateway provisioned in a software-defined network to verify service readiness of one or more security service(s) of a service chain prior to redirecting network traffic along a given data-path to the security service(s). The gateway may be configured to open a specific port on a network device hosting a security service to transmit network policies and/or test network traffic to the security service. The network gateway may host a virtual source and/or a virtual destination and cause the virtual source to send test network traffic through the security service via the port and to the virtual destination. The gateway may then utilize the received test network traffic to determine whether a given security service satisfies a threshold health and/or functionality measurement. Once it is determined that the security service satisfies the thresholds, the gateway may cause network traffic to be redirected to the security service.