Cloud Zone Selection for FedRAMP Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack an efficient method to provision virtual infrastructure while ensuring compliance with governmental requirements such as FedRAMP, particularly in switching between cloud accounts and selecting appropriate cloud zones for provisioning.
Innovation Solution
The system determines where to provision a requested catalog item by using a development platform to select a cloud zone based on project membership, ensuring that FedRAMP compliance is maintained by linking projects to either GovCloud or regular AWS regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the system provisions virtual infrastructure on any available cloud endpoint, then provisioning speed and productivity are improved, but compliance with governmental requirements such as FedRAMP cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments cloud endpoints into distinct categories based on compliance characteristics. Cloud zones are divided into compliant zones (e.g., FedRAMP-compliant GovCloud regions) and non-compliant zones (e.g., regular AWS regions). This segmentation allows the provisioning system to quickly route requests to appropriate zones based on compliance requirements, maintaining both speed and compliance assurance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary classification of cloud endpoints and their compliance attributes before provisioning requests arrive. Compliance status, cloud account associations, and zone characteristics are pre-determined and stored. When a provisioning request occurs, the system uses this pre-prepared information to immediately select an appropriate endpoint without time-consuming compliance checks during the provisioning process itself.
2Reliability
If the system implements strict compliance checking for each provisioning request, then reliability and compliance guarantee are improved, but provisioning time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Compliance verification is performed in advance by pre-configuring cloud zones with their compliance attributes and associating them with appropriate cloud accounts. The system stores this compliance information in a lookup structure that enables instant retrieval during provisioning, eliminating the need for time-consuming compliance checks at the moment of each provisioning request.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces cloud zones as an intermediary layer between provisioning requests and actual cloud endpoints. Zones act as pre-vetted containers that encapsulate compliance information and endpoint associations. This intermediary structure allows the system to guarantee compliance by selecting appropriate zones without performing detailed compliance checks on individual endpoints during provisioning.
3Reliability
If the system creates separate provisioning processes for compliant and non-compliant endpoints, then compliance accuracy is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal provisioning interface that handles both compliant and non-compliant endpoint requests through a single unified process. The provisioning system queries cloud zones based on compliance requirements and automatically routes to appropriate endpoints. This multi-functional approach allows one system to serve dual purposes: rapid provisioning for non-compliant workloads and compliance-guaranteed provisioning for regulated workloads, without requiring separate processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Cloud zones serve as a mediating abstraction that simplifies the provisioning process. Instead of directly managing complex compliance checks against individual endpoints, the system selects pre-defined zones that encapsulate compliance characteristics. This intermediary layer abstracts away the complexity of compliance management while maintaining accurate compliance routing between different endpoint types.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows flexible selection of cloud accounts and zones, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but difficulty in ensuring compliance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different compliance characteristics to different cloud zones based on their local properties. Each zone is configured with specific compliance attributes (e.g., FedRAMP compliance status) and is associated with appropriate cloud accounts. This local quality approach allows the system to maintain high flexibility by supporting multiple cloud accounts and zone types, while compliance management is simplified because each zone's compliance properties are locally defined and pre-validated.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure is related to devices, systems, and methods for virtual infrastructure provisioning on government compliant and non-compliant endpoints based on configuration. One embodiment includes receiving a request made by a user (232) to provision a catalog item in a cloud computing environment, determining that the user (232) is assigned to a project (228) required to comply with governmental requirements concerning virtual infrastructure, selecting a cloud zone (230) of a cloud region (222) in which to provision the catalog item, wherein the cloud region (222) is configured to provide compliance with the governmental requirements, and deploying the provisioned catalog item in the selected cloud zone (230).