Cryptographic Resource Identification in Cloud Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional identification systems face challenges in large networked environments, such as cloud-hosted systems, where simple naming conventions lead to difficulties in resource discovery due to identifier ambiguity and fragility, as resources can no longer be accessed if relocated or renamed without updating file paths or URLs.
Innovation Solution
The use of cryptographic key pairs, where a public key is generated and used as a unique identifier for resources, allowing for durable identification and verification, enabling access and validation through a public-private key infrastructure, and allowing for the creation of certificates and digital signatures for trust and verification operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If simple naming conventions are used to identify resources, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to identifier ambiguity and fragility in large networked environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of identification from simple alphanumeric names to cryptographic public keys. This transformation maintains ease of operation through automated key management while dramatically improving reliability by providing unique, unchangeable identifiers that cannot be ambiguous or broken, directly resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and identification reliability in cloud environments
2Ease of operation
If resources are identified by file paths or URLs, then ease of operation is improved for resource access, but reliability deteriorates when resources are relocated or renamed causing broken links
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using changeable location-based identifiers (URLs, file paths) to access resources, the patent inverts the approach by using immutable cryptographic public keys as identifiers. The resource access mechanism remains simple through key-based lookup, but the identifier itself becomes reliable and unchangeable, eliminating broken links when resources are relocated or renamed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a durable copy of the resource identifier in the form of a cryptographic public key that remains constant regardless of resource location changes. This immutable copy serves as a stable reference that can be used to access the resource indefinitely, resolving the reliability issue of location-based identifiers while maintaining ease of operation
3Reliability
If cryptographic key pairs are used for resource identification, then reliability and verification capability are improved, but device complexity increases due to cryptographic operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a resource index as an intermediary between the cryptographic key pair and the actual resource storage. This index maps public keys to resource locations, allowing the system to leverage cryptographic reliability for identification while using the index structure to manage the complexity of key-resource relationships, thus resolving the contradiction between enhanced reliability and increased system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for providing strong resource identification. When a resource is created, saved, or re-based, a cryptographic key pair may be generated and associated with the resource. A public key of the cryptographic key pair may be used as a unique identifier. Information about the resource, such as the name of the resource and its actual location may be stored in an index based upon the resource's public key. Sharing the resource with other devices may comprise sending the resource's key, as opposed to information about the resource's actual location, to one or more recipient device.