Computing Instance Migration via Trusted Authority

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing complexity of managing and migrating computing instances in data centers, particularly in dynamic environments, poses challenges in ensuring secure, efficient, and authorized transfers between hosts without significant downtime or unauthorized access.

Innovation Solution

A multi-party migration system involving a trusted migration authority and encryption mechanisms, using public key cryptography and key derivation functions, ensures secure and authorized migration of computing instances between hosts, with a three-way handshake for validation and encryption of communications to prevent unauthorized transfers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If computing instances are migrated between hosts in dynamic data center environments, then resource utilization and service availability are improved, but security risks and unauthorized access possibilities increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A migration authority is introduced as an intermediary component that mediates between computing instances and hosts during migration. The migration authority validates migration requests, manages authentication credentials, and ensures secure transfer of computing instances between hosts, thereby maintaining security while enabling productive migration operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Authentication credentials and encryption keys are established and validated before migration occurs. The migration authority pre-configures security parameters, validates host identities, and sets up encrypted communication channels in advance of the actual migration, ensuring security measures are in place before sensitive operations begin.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If computing instances are migrated between hosts, then service availability and flexibility are improved, but migration time and potential downtime increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidmigration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The migration system enables continuous operation of computing instances during transfer between hosts. The migration authority coordinates state transfer and host communication to maintain service availability, allowing computing instances to remain accessible while their underlying hardware changes, thereby minimizing or eliminating downtime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Migration operations are prepared and validated in advance by the migration authority, including pre-establishing communication channels, validating host compatibility, and preparing receiving hosts. This preliminary preparation reduces the actual migration execution time and minimizes service disruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If traditional migration methods are used without centralized authorization, then migration speed is maintained, but unauthorized transfers and fraudulent migrations occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration speedVSAvoidauthorization control

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The migration authority serves as a trusted intermediary that validates and authorizes migration requests in real-time. It verifies the identities of migrating computing instances and receiving hosts, manages authentication credentials, and approves transfers, thereby preventing unauthorized migrations while maintaining efficient migration speeds through automated validation processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If encryption mechanisms are implemented for secure migration, then security and authorization control are improved, but system complexity and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The migration authority centralizes the management of encryption keys and authentication credentials, acting as a trusted intermediary that handles the complexity of cryptographic operations. Computing instances and hosts can migrate securely with simplified local implementations, as the migration authority manages the complex key derivation, distribution, and validation processes centrally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10382408B1Computing instance migration

Publication Date: 2019.08.13 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Technology for migration of a computing instance is provided. In one example, a method may include receiving instructions to initiate migration of the computing instance from a first host to a second host. A first message for sending to the first host may be generated which includes instructions to send data representing the computing instance to the second host. The first message may further include encryption information for use in deriving at least one key for encrypting communications to the second host from the first host. A second message for sending to the second host may be generated which includes instructions to receive the data representing the computing instance from the first host. The second message may further include information for use in deriving at least one key for decrypting communications from the first host. The first and second messages may be sent to the respective first and second hosts.