Distributed Data Access Governance Using Metadata Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing access control and data governance in a distributed computing environment is challenging due to diverse data formats and regulatory requirements, necessitating effective enforcement of access rules across the data lifecycle.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a central computer system with an attribute-based access control (ABAC) system that utilizes metadata tags and a data classification system to evaluate governance policies, automatically assigning and recommending tags for data, and applying policies based on tags to manage access and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual tagging of data is performed, then data can be classified and governed, but manual tagging errors occur and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically tags data by having the data itself provide metadata about its characteristics. The data classification system processes data and assigns tags without requiring manual intervention, enabling the system to serve itself in the tagging process and eliminating manual tagging errors and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tagging processes with an automated data classification system that uses computational algorithms to analyze data and assign tags. This substitution of mechanical manual operations with automated electronic processing eliminates human error and improves efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If access control policies are updated manually, then policies can be modified, but policy updates are time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-processes and stores access control policies in a structured format that can be automatically applied. When policy updates are needed, the system can automatically retrieve and apply updated policies without manual intervention, reducing update time and ensuring consistency across the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control system continuously monitors and evaluates data access requests against stored policies, providing feedback on policy effectiveness and compliance. This enables automated policy adjustments and improvements without requiring manual review and updating of each policy rule.
3Adaptability or versatility
If diverse data formats are stored, then data from multiple sources can be collected, but access control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments data into standardized categories and applies uniform access control policies to each segment. By dividing diverse data formats into manageable categories with consistent governance rules, the system maintains compatibility with multiple data sources while simplifying the access control implementation through standardized processing procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Access control may involve receiving a request from a computing device of a user for access to data available through a computer system, where at least some of the data is stored locally in the computer system. Access control may further involve identifying one or more tags associated with the data, each tag including a metadata label characterizing the data. One or more data governance policies can be determined as being applicable to the request based on the identified tags and further based on one or more attributes of the request. The one or more data governance policies can be applied to derive filtered data for output to the user's computing device in response to the request. In some implementations, the computer system includes a cloud-based datastore and is configured to automatically assign or recommend tags for incoming data from remote computer systems.