Cryptlet Identity Management in Secure Enclaves

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current blockchain systems face challenges in securely executing smart contracts off-chain while maintaining the integrity and security of transactions, particularly in ensuring the secure execution environment and management of cryptlet identities and bindings.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a cryptlet fabric that manages secure execution environments, known as enclaves, to execute cryptlet binaries, generates cryptlet bindings, and manages identities, allowing for secure execution and communication of smart contracts off-chain while ensuring secure storage and retrieval of keys, and recording cryptlet identities on the blockchain ledger.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If smart contracts are executed off-chain in secure enclaves, then execution efficiency and scalability are improved, but system complexity and security management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexecution efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cryptlet fabric as an intermediary layer between the blockchain and off-chain execution environments. This fabric manages enclave creation, cryptlet deployment, and identity binding, thereby handling the complexity of secure off-chain execution while presenting a simplified interface to the blockchain system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the smart contract execution functionality into separate cryptlet components that can be independently deployed and managed in secure enclaves. This segmentation allows complex computational tasks to be distributed across multiple specialized cryptlets rather than requiring the entire blockchain to handle all execution complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If cryptlet identities are managed with bindings to smart contracts, then transaction integrity is improved, but key management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction integrityVSAvoidkey management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cryptlet identity, its private key, and its binding to smart contracts into a unified enclave-based security model. The enclave consolidates these elements, ensuring that the private key never leaves the secure environment while maintaining associations with multiple smart contracts through binding relationships.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service key management where the enclave automatically generates and manages cryptlet private keys without external intervention. The enclave service autonomously handles key generation, storage, and usage, reducing the burden on external systems while maintaining security and integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Quantity of substance

If a single cryptlet binary is reused across multiple instances, then resource efficiency is improved, but security verification difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidsecurity verification difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary verification of cryptlet binaries through hashing and registration in the cryptlet fabric before deployment to enclaves. The binary hash is recorded and associated with the cryptlet identity, enabling efficient verification of binary integrity without requiring re-verification for each instance deployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses cryptographic hashing as a copyable verification mechanism. Instead of verifying the entire binary content each time, a hash copy of the binary is generated and stored, allowing efficient comparison and verification across multiple instances while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3622661B1Cryptlet identity
Publication Date: 2022.08.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3622661B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3622661B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3622661B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In one example, the cryptlet binary and a cryptlet key pair are provided to an enclave. A cryptlet key pair for the first cryptlet includes a cryptlet private key and a cryptlet public key. A cryptlet binding associated with a first cryptlet includes at least one binding. Each binding includes a mapping between the first cryptlet and at least one of a smart contract or another cryptlet. A binding identification is associated with the cryptlet binding. An output is received from the first cryptlet, such that the output is at least one of encrypted or signed by the cryptlet private key, and such that the output is signed by an enclave private key. A cryptlet identity is generated for the first cryptlet, such that the cryptlet identification includes: the hash of the cryptlet binary, the cryptlet public key, and the binding identification.