Dynamic Capability Management for Ordered Object Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional capabilities are not suitable for enforcing dynamic access control policies that require access to objects by multiple subjects in a specific order, as they lack the ability to manage and enforce a prescribed sequence of access.
Innovation Solution
A Capability Management System (CMS) dynamically constructs and revokes capabilities to ensure access to objects follows a specified order, embedding additional information for constructing subsequent capabilities, allowing only one valid capability to access the object at a time, with features like authenticity verification and expiration times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional static capabilities are used for access control, then access decisions can be made locally and efficiently, but the system cannot enforce dynamic access control policies requiring specific access sequences by multiple subjects
Solution Approach 1:
The capability structure is segmented into distinct components: a traditional capability portion for basic access control and verification, and an extended capability portion containing access sequence information. This segmentation allows the system to maintain efficient local verification while adding dynamic policy enforcement capabilities through the separate access sequence data structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The access sequence information is nested within the capability structure, with the extended capability portion containing references to subsequent capabilities in the sequence. This nesting allows multiple levels of access control to be embedded within a single capability object, enabling complex multi-subject access policies without requiring external lookup tables.
2Reliability
If capabilities are made dynamic with access sequence information, then multi-subject access order can be enforced, but the capability construction and management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The access sequence information is prepared and embedded in advance within each capability object. The capability construction process pre-establishes the entire access sequence, including references to subsequent capabilities and their associated subjects. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex runtime decision-making and external policy evaluation, simplifying the management process while ensuring reliable policy enforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The extended capability portion acts as an intermediary between the traditional capability structure and the access sequence control logic. It contains the access sequence information and references that mediate between the basic access verification and the complex multi-subject access order requirements, isolating the complexity within a manageable intermediate layer.
3Ease of operation
If multiple capabilities are issued for different subjects, then each subject can access the object independently, but the prescribed access order cannot be enforced
Solution Approach 1:
The capability structure includes feedback mechanisms through access sequence information that tracks which subjects have already accessed the object. Each capability contains references to subsequent capabilities in the sequence, creating a feedback loop that ensures only the next authorized subject can access the object. This feedback enforcement maintains access sequence compliance while allowing independent access operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The capability system transitions from static to dynamic through the inclusion of access sequence information. The capabilities are dynamically constructed with embedded sequence data, and the system dynamically determines which capability is currently valid based on the access history and sequence requirements. This dynamic approach enables both independent subject access and strict sequence enforcement.
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a Capability Management System (CMS) in a distributed computing environment that controls access to multiple objects by multiple subjects based upon a specified access order. A capability is dynamically constructed when the capability is needed. After the capability is used to access an object, a new capability is generated. In the alternative, multiple capabilities for enforcing an access order are generated independently of each other. The new capability is then employed by the same or another subject to access the object according to a prescribed access sequence. In this manner, at any particular time there is one capability valid to access the object by the appropriate subject. In addition, the capability includes information for verifying the authenticity of the capability and for specifying an expiration time associated with the cap ability. The technology may also be enhanced by providing a linkage between capabilities intended for use in a sequence.