Element-Level Access Control for Hierarchical Data Structures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data access control methods fail to provide fine-grained control over data structure elements, leading to increased complexity, resource expenditure, and inconsistent application of access policies, particularly in regulated environments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system for fine-grained data structure element access control that identifies data elements based on how they are consumed, enabling precise control at the column, row, or cell level, and allowing for standardized data formats and customizable filtering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional access control methods (ACLs, RBAC, ABAC) are used, then access control functionality is provided, but fine-grained control over individual data structure elements is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments access control into two independent layers: (1) data structure segmentation where individual elements (columns, rows, cells) are identified by unique keys, and (2) access control segmentation where policies are applied at the element level. This allows fine-grained control without requiring complex monolithic access control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data structure layer that sits between the physical data storage and access control mechanisms. This intermediary layer uses keys to reference data elements, decoupling the access control logic from the underlying data structure complexity and enabling simplified element-level control.
2Manufacturing precision
If fine-grained control at element level is implemented, then data access precision is improved, but resource expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates lightweight key references that copy only the essential identifying information of data elements rather than managing complete element descriptions. These key references enable efficient access control decisions without requiring substantial computational resources to evaluate complex element properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from detailed element descriptions to compact key identifiers. This parameter transformation reduces the computational overhead of access control evaluations while maintaining the ability to precisely identify and control access to individual data elements.
3Reliability
If access control policies are applied consistently at fine-grained level, then data security is improved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal key-based reference system that can identify any data structure element (column, row, cell, or nested element) across different data types and hierarchical levels. This universal approach enables consistent policy application throughout the entire data structure without requiring element-specific control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying access control policies directly to complex data elements, the patent inverts the approach by assigning simple keys to elements and then applying policies to those keys. This inversion simplifies the implementation of consistent fine-grained control across diverse data structures.
4Ease of manufacture
If standardized data formats with keys are used, then data management is simplified, but flexibility in representing diverse data structures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different data structure elements to have different key types and formats appropriate to their specific context (e.g., string keys for columns, numeric keys for rows, composite keys for cells), while maintaining a uniform key-based access control interface. This enables standardized management procedures to work across diverse data structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a key dimension to data structure elements without constraining the underlying data structure format. By operating in this additional key dimension, the system achieves standardized management and control while preserving the flexibility and diversity of various data structure representations.
Data Source
AI summary
System and techniques for implementing a fine-grained access control structure for a data structure are described herein. An identification of an access vector for an element of a hierarchical data structure can be obtained and used to search the hierarchical data structure to locate a portion of the hierarchical data structure that includes the element. A representation of the portion of the hierarchical data structure can be rendered to a user interface that includes a control to assign an access permission to the element. Once an input from the control to modify an access to the hierarchical data structure is received, the hierarchical data structure can be updated based on the input from the control.