Cloud-Based Instrument Reservation With Secure Time-Window Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fabless semiconductor companies face challenges in finding instruments that meet product testing requirements, leading to increased costs, testing uncertainty, and delayed product launches due to instrument shortages, location issues, or lack of speed licenses.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for reserving cloud-based instruments, utilizing a group of remote instruments, an instrument reservation system, a bastion server, and a cloud-based authorization server to facilitate secure and exclusive testing connections, enabling users to select and reserve remote instruments and time periods, generate speed licenses, and establish dedicated connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fabless semiconductor company rents a remote instrument that is far away from the company location, then the company can access the instrument for testing, but the testing costs significantly increase and the time for product launching is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based authorization server as an intermediary between the user workstation and the remote instrument. This server manages speed licenses and authentication, enabling secure remote access without requiring physical proximity to the instrument. The bastion server acts as another intermediary layer that establishes secure connections and manages pairing information, allowing users to access instruments remotely while maintaining security protocols.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fabless semiconductor company rents a remote instrument that lacks a specific level of speed license, then the company can access the instrument, but the testing requirements cannot be met and testing uncertainty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed license management where the authorization server can generate, revoke, and update speed licenses in real-time based on testing requirements. The system dynamically adjusts the testing speed capabilities by issuing appropriate speed licenses to user workstations, ensuring that testing requirements are met while optimizing resource utilization. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different testing needs without requiring physical modification of the instruments.
3Reliability
If a fabless semiconductor company searches for and rents suitable remote instruments, then the company can find instruments meeting product testing requirements, but the time for searching and the testing uncertainty significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions by pre-registering user workstations with the authorization server and pre-establishing pairing information between bastion servers and remote instruments. The system prepares speed licenses and authentication credentials in advance, so when a user needs to access an instrument, the connection can be established quickly without extensive searching or configuration. The instrument reservation system allows users to reserve instruments in advance, further reducing the time needed to find and access suitable testing equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reserving a cloud-based instrument and adapted to a system for reserving an instrument is provided. The system includes a group of remote instruments with a plurality of remote instruments, a system for reserving an instrument, and a bastion server. The reservation information includes a plurality of reservable time periods and a plurality of reserved time periods. The method for reserving the cloud-based instrument includes: establishing a secure connection between the bastion server and the remote instrument designated in any one of the reserved time periods, establishing a dedicated connection between the designated remote instrument and a user workstation designated in any one of the reserved time periods at start of any one of the reserved time periods according to pairing information and the reservation information, and terminating the secure connection and the dedicated connection at end of any one of the reserved time periods.