Declarative Instance-Based Security for Distributed Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed object systems are limited by type-based declarative security specifications, which do not allow for instance-based security and have security logic tightly coupled with administration logic, making it difficult to implement policy changes and manage access effectively in a distributed environment.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that decouples security logic from administration logic by using declarative specifications combined with object name property keys to determine access permissions for distributed objects, allowing for instance-based security and flexible policy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If type-based declarative security specifications are used, then security policy can be defined at the type level, but instance-based security control and flexible policy changes cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security specifications into two distinct parts: type-level declarative security specifications that define security policies for resource types, and instance-level property keys that identify specific resource instances. This segmentation allows security to be controlled at both type and instance levels independently, resolving the contradiction between achieving instance-based security and maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts instance identification logic (property keys) from the distributed object administration logic and combines it with declarative security specifications. By taking out the instance-specific portion of security control and separating it from type-level policies, the system enables flexible instance-based security while keeping the overall security framework manageable and decoupled.
2Adaptability or versatility
If security logic is coupled with distributed object administration logic, then integrated control is achieved, but policy changes after deployment become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security logic into declarative security specifications that are separate from distributed object administration logic. Type-level security policies are defined declaratively and can be modified independently from instance management operations, enabling policy changes after deployment without restructuring the entire administration logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces property keys as an intermediary between declarative security specifications and distributed object instances. This intermediary layer allows security policies to be applied flexibly to specific instances without tight coupling to the administration logic, enabling independent modification of security policies while maintaining integrated control through the property key mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If generic distributed object implementations are used, then reusability and instantiation flexibility are improved, but instance-based security enforcement becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding instance-specific property keys to generic distributed object implementations. While the overall object implementation remains generic and reusable, each instance can have specific property keys that enable targeted security verification. This allows security to be customized at the instance level without sacrificing the reusability of the underlying generic implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for using a declarative approach to enforce instance based security in a distributed environment is presented. The invention described herein includes security logic in declarative specifications that, in turn, decouples the security logic from distributed object administration logic. An access manager identifies access requirements by combining object name property keys included in a distributed object with property key specifications included in a declarative specification. In turn, the access manager compares a caller's access attributes with the access requirements to determine whether to create a distributed object instance and allow the caller to invoke a method on the distributed object instance. The access requirements may also include role specifications and method parameter specifications.