Control Identity Binding for Hardware and Software Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for controlling software and hardware components in computer systems are complex, laborious, and lack versatility, as they primarily monitor hardware changes without considering software modifications, making it difficult to ensure authorized use and efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generates a control identity by binding software or hardware components to a computer system, using a processor and validator module to combine weighted elements of both hardware and software, ensuring only authorized components operate within specified tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hardware identification system checks and identifies each hardware device to establish a hardware identification, then the system can monitor hardware changes, but the process becomes laborious and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the hardware identification process into two parts: a hardware configuration identification (HCI) that captures hardware state, and a control identity generation that combines HCI with software configuration. This segmentation allows the hardware monitoring to be decoupled from the full control identity generation, reducing the time required for complete authorization checks while maintaining reliable hardware monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by generating and storing the hardware configuration identification (HCI) when the software product is initially loaded. This pre-computed HCI is then reused in subsequent authorization checks, eliminating the need to re-identify all hardware devices on each check and significantly reducing the time required for authorization verification.
2Device complexity
If the known system monitors only hardware within the computer system, then the hardware identification process is simplified, but the system lacks versatility and cannot account for software changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges hardware configuration identification with software configuration identification to create a unified control identity. The control identity combines the hardware configuration identification (HCI) with a software configuration identification (SCI), allowing the system to monitor both hardware and software changes together. This merging maintains manageable complexity while significantly enhancing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The control identity serves multiple functions: it binds the software product to the specific computer system, monitors both hardware and software configuration changes, and determines authorization status. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate monitoring systems for hardware and software, reducing overall system complexity while enhancing versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system generates a control identity by combining hardware and software elements, then the system becomes versatile and accurate, but the calculation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control identity calculation is segmented into distinct components: hardware configuration identification (HCI), software configuration identification (SCI), and their combination into the final control identity. This segmentation allows each component to be generated and validated independently, reducing the overall complexity of the calculation process while maintaining system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware configuration identification (HCI) acts as an intermediary that captures the hardware state and serves as a building block for the control identity. By using HCI as an intermediary component, the system can generate control identities efficiently without needing to re-evaluate all hardware and software configurations from scratch, thus reducing calculation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a system and method for generating a control identity for binding together a component and a computer system including hardware devices and software applications. The binding system comprises a processor, a validator module for controlling the processor to generate the control identity, and a store for storing the control identity. The validator module is arranged to define a binding configuration for the component, representing a weighted combination of at least one of a set of hardware elements and a set of software elements needed within the computer system for operation of the component, the validator module also being arranged to prompt the processor to establish whether instances of the elements within the at least one set of elements are present in the computer system. The validator module assigns to each category of element that is established to be present an identity value and adds the identity value to data representing the binding configuration to define the control identity. The validator module then causes the control identity to be transferred to the store.