Digital Certificate Tenant Routing in Cloud Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-tenant cloud computing environments, existing methods for maintaining logical separation between tenants are inefficient, particularly when using messaging protocols like MQTT, which lack support for path elements in URLs or custom headers, leading to overhead in domain registrations and authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of digital certificates to extract tenancy information during the authentication process, allowing for compatible routing of messages across various messaging protocols such as AMQP and MQTT, by detecting tenant information from attributes within the digital certificate and using it to determine the appropriate message broker for message routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different endpoints (domains/subdomains) are provided to different tenants for logical separation, then tenant isolation is achieved, but significant overhead is required for managing domain registrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines tenant identification with the authentication process by embedding tenant ID in digital certificates. This merges two previously separate functions (authentication and tenant identification) into a single mechanism, eliminating the need for separate domain registration management while maintaining tenant isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital certificate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides authentication credentials and contains embedded tenant identification information. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for protocol-specific mechanisms (path elements, custom headers) with a universal solution that works across all messaging protocols.
2Device complexity
If path elements in URLs are used to provide different endpoints, then domain registration overhead is avoided, but this approach only works for protocols that support path elements in URLs
Solution Approach 1:
The digital certificate approach provides a universal solution that works across all messaging protocols (AMQP, MQTT, etc.) regardless of their URL structure capabilities. The tenant identification is embedded in the certificate itself, making it independent of protocol-specific URL conventions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom headers are included in payloads to indicate tenancy, then protocol-specific limitations are avoided, but this only works for protocols that support custom headers
Solution Approach 1:
The digital certificate provides a universal tenant identification mechanism that does not depend on protocol-specific header support. The tenant ID is embedded in the certificate structure itself, making it accessible to all protocols without requiring custom header implementations.
4Ease of operation
If multiple authentication mechanisms are supported, then user flexibility is improved, but the authentication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication and tenant identification into a single digital certificate-based mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate authentication flows for different tenants, simplifying the overall process while maintaining support for multiple authentication types (basic auth, certificate-based, challenge-response).
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a system and method for routing messages in a multi-tenant cloud computing environment based on digital certificates. In one example, a server includes a network interface configured to receive a request and a digital certificate from a network object, where the digital certificate includes a plurality of attributes. The server also includes a processor configured to determine whether the digital certificate is valid, and in response to determining the digital certificate is valid, detect tenant information from an attribute among the plurality of attributes included in the digital certificate. For example, the detected tenant information may identify a tenant of the multi-tenant cloud computing environment. The network interface may be further configured to transmit the request to the multi-tenant cloud computing environment based on the detected tenant information.