Database Connection Pool SAML Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintaining and storing password changes for pooled database connections is expensive, error-prone, and tedious, especially when enterprise policies require frequent password updates, which complicates the management of username/password pairs in configuration files or databases.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a database connection pool manager that uses Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) assertions for single sign-on (SSO) login, where a new SAML assertion is generated when needed, allowing existing database connections to remain active while new connections are built without requiring updated username/password pairs, thus reducing the need for frequent password changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If username/password mode is used to build pooled database connection, then database connections can be established and reused, but password changes require manual updates to configuration files or databases which is expensive and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (identity provider or authentication service) that mediates between the application and the database. Instead of storing passwords directly in configuration files or databases, the system uses tokens or certificates issued by this intermediary. The intermediary handles password changes and security policies, returning valid authentication credentials to the application without exposing password management complexity to the application layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs short-lived authentication tokens or certificates instead of persistent passwords. These tokens have limited validity periods and can be regenerated automatically when expired or when policy requires changes. This approach replaces expensive-to-manage long-lived passwords with cheap, automatically renewed short-lived credentials that don't require manual updates to configuration files.
2Reliability
If passwords are changed frequently according to enterprise policies, then security is improved, but maintaining and storing password changes becomes tedious and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service authentication where the application automatically obtains and refreshes credentials without human intervention. When passwords need to be changed according to enterprise policies, the identity provider automatically generates new credentials and provides them to the application through the established authentication channel. This eliminates the tedious manual task of updating passwords in configuration files while maintaining security requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions where credentials are obtained and cached before actual database operations. The system proactively manages credential validity periods and automatically refreshes tokens before they expire. This preliminary action ensures that security policies are met without requiring reactive password changes during operation, making the process seamless and error-free.
3Productivity
If pooled database connections are used, then connection reuse improves performance, but storing username/password pairs in configuration files creates security risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sensitive password management function from the configuration files and database connection pooling logic. Instead of embedding usernames and passwords directly in configuration files, the system separates authentication credentials from application configuration. Credentials are obtained dynamically from an identity provider and stored in secure, transient memory only during active connection use, then discarded. This extraction eliminates the security risk of storing credentials in persistent configuration files while maintaining connection pooling performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A system receives a request from a request processor of a database connection pool to access a database. The system determines whether a database connection from the database connection pool is available for the request. A new security assertion mark-up language (SAML) assertion is generated when the database connection pool does not have an available database connection for the request. A new database connection to the database is built using the new SAML assertion.