Cluster Audit Log Aggregation for Secure Compliance Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cluster network systems lack an efficient mechanism to process and generate comprehensive audit logs, which are essential for compliance with corporate and governmental guidelines, and current systems struggle to utilize standard log information without extensive per-node processing.

Innovation Solution

A support bundle processing mechanism is implemented in cluster networks to collect and aggregate logs from all components and nodes, using a collector service that applies filter criteria and employs a coordinator-worker design for scalable collection, generating audit logs that conform to industry standards and requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If comprehensive log collection is implemented across all cluster nodes, then audit log completeness is improved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudit log completenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a log aggregator as an intermediary component that collects logs from multiple cluster nodes and consolidates them into a centralized location. This mediator handles the complexity of gathering and processing logs from distributed sources, allowing individual nodes to maintain simple logging operations while the aggregator manages the comprehensive collection and aggregation logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines log collection, aggregation, and audit log generation functions into a unified centralized system. Instead of each node independently managing its own audit logs, the system merges all node logs into a single consolidated audit log repository, simplifying compliance verification and reducing the complexity of distributed log management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If extensive per-node processing is performed to generate audit logs, then audit log accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudit log accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary filtering and normalization of log data at the collection stage, before full audit log generation. The log aggregator pre-processes incoming logs by validating formats, extracting relevant fields, and organizing data structures, so that when audit logs are generated, the processing requires less intensive computation and completes faster.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the audit log generation process into separate stages: log collection, filtering, aggregation, and final audit log creation. Each stage handles specific processing tasks independently, allowing parallel processing and optimizing the balance between accuracy verification and processing speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If centralized audit log management is implemented, then vendor support efficiency is improved, but data transfer and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevendor support efficiencyVSAvoiddata transfer volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential and relevant log data needed for audit purposes, rather than transferring complete raw log files. The log aggregator identifies and extracts specific fields such as timestamps, event types, user actions, and system changes, reducing the volume of data that needs to be transferred and stored while maintaining audit compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms raw log data into standardized audit log formats with controlled parameters and schemas. By changing the data representation from verbose raw logs to structured audit records with defined fields, the system reduces data redundancy and optimizes storage requirements while improving vendor support efficiency through consistent data formats.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250245089A1Transferring audit logs from a cluster system to an audit log management system
Publication Date: 2025.07.31 DELL PROD LP
  • US20250245089A1 patent drawing
  • US20250245089A1 patent drawing
  • US20250245089A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A multi-node, multi-container cluster system that generates, aggregates, and manages log files from services and components to be used for audit logs used by an auditor. Logs are collected from all components of the system and aggregated using a central persistent volume for non-critical applications and additional dedicated persistent volumes for critical tasks. Audit logs are formatted to provide a consistent logging format in conformance with relevant corporate and government requirements. The audit logs are transferred to an audit log management system that is configured to securely store the audit logs in accordance with security requirements for availability, protection against tampering, and secure access.