Database Asset Index Linking Across Security Monitoring Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large entities face challenges in tracking and mapping all database assets across multiple security monitoring systems due to differing visibility and lack of interoperability, leading to database security threats and blind spots.

Innovation Solution

An entity-wide database asset index is generated by linking database instances observed by different security monitoring systems using unique identifiers and probabilistic matching, enabling real-time security threat detection and mitigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple security monitoring systems are deployed across database servers, then database security monitoring coverage is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of tracking all database instances increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedatabase security monitoring coverageVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges data from multiple security monitoring systems into a centralized entity-wide database asset index. This index consolidates database instance information, security events, and metadata from various monitoring systems, allowing unified tracking and analysis while reducing the complexity of managing multiple separate systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The entity-wide database asset index serves multiple functions: it acts as a centralized repository for database instance information, a correlation engine for linking related events across systems, a security analytics platform, and a threat detection system. This multi-functional approach improves security coverage without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If database instances are tracked across multiple security monitoring systems, then security threat detection capability is improved, but interoperability challenges and information loss increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity threat detection capabilityVSAvoidinteroperability challenges

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The entity-wide database asset index acts as an intermediary that standardizes and correlates data from different security monitoring systems. It uses unified schemas, common identification methods, and correlation logic to bridge interoperability gaps between systems, preventing information loss while maintaining comprehensive threat detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms data from various monitoring systems into a standardized format within the entity-wide index, changing parameters such as event schemas, identification methods, and data structures. This parameter standardization enables interoperability while preserving the essential information needed for threat detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive database asset tracking is implemented, then security analytics accuracy is improved, but time and resources required for tracking and mapping increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity analytics accuracyVSAvoidtime required for tracking and mapping

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the entity-wide database asset index with all known database instances, their relationships, and metadata before security events occur. This pre-computed foundation enables rapid correlation and analysis of security events without time-consuming tracking during incidents, improving analytics accuracy while reducing response time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The entity-wide database asset index creates a simplified copy or representation of the complex distributed database landscape. This indexed model captures essential relationships and attributes without replicating the full complexity of the underlying system, enabling fast queries and analytics while reducing the time required for tracking and mapping operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12591704B2Entity-wide database asset index generation

Publication Date: 2026.03.31 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Entity-wide database asset index generation is provided. An entity-wide database asset index corresponding to an entity is generated identifying all observed database instances across a plurality of database servers by each respective security monitoring system of a plurality of different security monitoring systems corresponding to the entity and one or more linked sets of same database instances observed by more than one security monitoring system of the plurality of different security monitoring systems. Security analytics are performed on the entity-wide database asset index that identifies all of the observed database instances across the plurality of database servers by each respective security monitoring system of the plurality of different security monitoring systems corresponding to the entity and the one or more linked sets of same database instances observed by more than one security monitoring system of the plurality of different security monitoring systems to detect any database security threats.