Composite Trust Attestation for Heterogeneous Computing Clusters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies struggle to establish trustworthiness across heterogeneous systems in computer networking, particularly in ensuring that data traffic traverses only uncompromised nodes, as existing methods are ineffective in mitigating unauthorized access and manipulation.

Innovation Solution

The system generates a composite security information by combining security claims from related service nodes, using TPM and attestation to verify the integrity of nodes and embed metadata elements like canary stamps in packets to ensure trustworthiness across multiple hops.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If trustworthiness vectors are used to verify direct peer connections, then trust verification between directly connected devices is improved, but trust verification across multiple hops and heterogeneous systems deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrust verificationVSAvoidheterogeneous system compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the trust verification process into discrete security claims that can be independently evaluated. Each security claim represents a specific aspect of trustworthiness (e.g., hardware integrity, software integrity, configuration security) that can be verified separately and then aggregated to form an overall trust assessment across heterogeneous systems and multiple hops.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal trust verification framework that works across different device types, manufacturers, and communication hops. By defining standardized security claims and evaluation criteria that apply universally to all devices in the network, the system achieves adaptability to heterogeneous systems while maintaining consistent trust verification standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If active measurements are implemented to validate device trustworthiness, then security and trust verification are improved, but system complexity and measurement overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice trustworthiness validationVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary trust verification by evaluating security claims during device initialization and configuration phases. Trust measurements are taken and recorded before devices fully join the network, allowing subsequent trust verification to rely on pre-established security claims rather than requiring continuous complex measurements during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces security claims as intermediary elements that mediate between raw trust measurements and overall trust verification. These security claims act as standardized intermediaries that simplify the verification process by translating complex device-specific trust metrics into universal, comparable claims that can be evaluated without requiring complex measurement systems at each device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If routing protocols are used to ensure packets take trustworthy paths, then path security is improved, but the ability to verify trustworthiness across multiple hops deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket path securityVSAvoidtrustworthiness information across hops
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where security claims are propagated along with packets through multiple hops. Each device along the transmission path evaluates the packet's trustworthiness based on accumulated security claims from previous hops and adds its own security claims, creating a feedback loop that continuously verifies and updates trust information across the entire path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a nested structure where security claims from multiple hops are embedded within each other. Each device's security claims are nested within the accumulated claims from previous hops, creating a layered trust verification structure that preserves trustworthiness information across multiple communication hops while enabling verification at each level.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP4315116B1Verifying trust postures of heterogeneous confidential computing clusters
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP4315116B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4315116B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4315116B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for providing security postures for a service provided by a heterogenous system. A method for verifying trust by a service node includes receiving a request for a security information of the service node from a client device, wherein the request includes information identifying a service to receive from the service node, identifying a related node to communicate with the service node based on the service, after identifying the related node, requesting a security information of the related node, generating a composite security information from the security information of the service node and the security information of the related node, and sending the composite security information to the client device. The composite security information provides security claims for a service implemented by a heterogenous devices that have different trusted execution environments.