Container Access Policy Generation for Minimal Cloud Permissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud service access management systems face challenges in providing granular access control for containers, leading to security risks and inefficiencies, especially when multiple heterogeneous processes are hosted on a single compute instance, as they often rely on overly permissive access rules or manual credential management that does not scale well with complex workloads.
Innovation Solution
A system that mediates requests between containers and cloud services using a request forwarder component to establish container identity and verify access, combined with internal authentication and cloud service authentication, allowing for automated generation of minimal access policies for both containers and compute nodes, ensuring secure and efficient access management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual credential management is used for each container, then access control can be customized, but the system complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compute instance identity into multiple container-specific identities. Each container receives a unique credential that is derived from but distinct from the compute instance's master credential. This segmentation allows individualized access control for each container while maintaining a unified credential management structure at the compute instance level, thereby reducing complexity without sacrificing security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a credential intermediary mechanism that sits between the compute instance credentials and cloud service authentication. This intermediary automatically generates, manages, and rotates container-specific credentials without requiring manual intervention. The intermediary translates compute instance identity into container-specific credentials, eliminating the need for manual credential management while maintaining secure access control.
2Ease of operation
If overly permissive access rules are applied to all containers, then access control is simplified, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different access permissions to different containers based on their specific requirements. Instead of a blanket permissive policy, each container receives credentials with access rights tailored to its functional needs. The system automatically determines the minimal necessary access for each container and configures corresponding policies, achieving both simplicity and security through automated granular permission assignment.
3Measurement precision
If individual container credentials are managed manually, then access control precision is improved, but productivity and deployment velocity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling containers to automatically obtain and manage their own credentials without external intervention. The credential management system operates autonomously, generating credentials on-demand, handling rotation automatically, and revoking credentials when containers are destroyed. This self-service mechanism maintains precise access control granularity while eliminating manual overhead, thereby preserving high deployment velocity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the credential management infrastructure and access policies before container deployment. The system establishes the framework for automated credential generation and access control in advance, so that when containers are deployed, they automatically receive appropriate credentials without requiring manual configuration. This preliminary setup enables rapid deployment while maintaining precise access control.
4Ease of operation
If compute instance credentials are directly accessible to containers, then cloud service access is simplified, but credential exposure and security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the credential management function from the compute instance level and creates separate container-specific credentials. Instead of giving containers direct access to the compute instance's master credential, the system extracts and generates individualized credentials for each container. This extraction isolates the sensitive master credential from potential exposure while maintaining the ability to authenticate container requests to cloud services.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer system may receive one or more requests for access to one or more cloud services and may store the one or more requests in a request log. The computer system may receive one or more access rules applicable to cloud service access rights. The computer system may aggregate the one or more requests of the request log to determine access requirements for a container, the container being configured to store one or more applications. The computer system may generate and store container access policies that define access of a container and the one or more cloud services, the container access policies based at least in part on the aggregated one or more requests and the one or more access rules. The computer system may send the container access policies to a request forwarder of a compute instance in a production environment.