Credential Generation for Virtual Resources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern computing networks face challenges in effectively managing credentials across multiple devices and virtual machines, particularly in preventing unauthorized access and ensuring secure policy enforcement due to the complexity of these networks.
Innovation Solution
The system generates and distributes credentials based on user-defined subsets and policies, using a centralized policy management service to optimize and enforce policies through a normalized form, and includes a verification mode for evaluating requests and managing credential states to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If credentials are distributed to multiple devices and virtual machines, then access control and policy enforcement are enabled, but security risks increase due to potential unauthorized access and credential compromise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments credential management by creating unique credential instances for each device or virtual machine. Instead of distributing the same credential to multiple entities, the system generates distinct credentials (e.g., unique identifiers, cryptographic keys) for each recipient, thereby maintaining security while enabling differentiated access control. This segmentation ensures that compromise of one credential does not affect others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized credential management service as an intermediary between credential issuance and verification. This mediator handles credential generation, distribution, and revocation centrally, enabling policy enforcement without requiring direct trust between all devices. The intermediary validates credentials against stored policies and can revoke access centrally if security risks arise.
2Stability of the object's composition
If centralized policy management is implemented to enforce security policies, then policy consistency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts policy management functionality from individual devices and centralizes it in a dedicated credential management service. This extraction allows policy consistency to be maintained centrally while reducing the complexity burden on individual devices. The centralized service handles policy evaluation and credential validation, leaving devices with simpler authentication tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal credential management service that handles multiple functions: credential generation, distribution, validation, and revocation. This multi-functional intermediary consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems for each function, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining policy consistency across all devices and virtual machines.
3Reliability
If credential validation is performed for every access request, then security is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary credential validation by pre-establishing trust relationships and policy rules during credential issuance. The credential management service validates credentials against stored policies in advance, creating a validated state that can be quickly checked during access requests. This preliminary action reduces the computational burden during actual access operations while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates verified copies of credential validation results that can be efficiently referenced during access requests. Instead of performing full validation computations for every access attempt, the system uses pre-validated credential instances with embedded policy information that can be quickly verified through simpler checks, maintaining security while improving processing speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of virtual computing resources is detected to have been provisioned. Credentials are distributed to the plurality of virtual computing resources. A credentials map that maps the credentials to the plurality of virtual computing resources is updated. The credentials for the plurality of virtual computing resources are activated to enable the plurality of virtual computing resources to use the credentials to authenticate to a second computer system that manages a resource service, with the credentials being inaccessible to resources of the resource service. A virtual computing resource of the plurality of virtual computing resources is detected to been deprovisioned, and the credentials for the virtual computing resource are deactivated.