Embedded Artifact Access Control in Nested Resource Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional access control methods lack support for composite computing resources and multi-part structures, failing to provide granular access control policies that account for the distinct access control rules required by embedded resources and their relationships with related resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing granular access control policies that allow embedded artifacts to inherit or restrict the access control policies of their containers, with the ability to create restrictive subsets and manage multi-level nested structures, ensuring that access control policies are adaptable to composite and multi-part resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional access control methods are used, then implementation is simple, but they cannot support composite computing resources and multi-part structures with distinct access control rules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments access control policies into container-level policies and artifact-level policies. Each container can have its own access control policy, and each embedded artifact can have separate access control policies, allowing granular control over different parts of composite computing resources while maintaining manageable complexity through hierarchical organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested container structures where containers can contain other containers, and each level can have its own access control policy. This nested structure allows complex composite resources to be organized hierarchically with appropriate access control at each level, supporting multi-part structures while maintaining policy manageability.
2Reliability
If access control policies are made more restrictive for embedded artifacts, then security is improved, but access management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by automatically applying the container's access control policy to embedded artifacts before explicit artifact-level policies are defined. This default inheritance mechanism ensures security is maintained while simplifying access management, as users only need to define policies at the artifact level when special restrictions are needed, rather than managing policies at every level explicitly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multi-level nested container structures are supported, then adaptability to complex resource structures is improved, but policy enforcement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal access control policy enforcement mechanism that works across all container levels and artifact types. The same policy inheritance and restriction rules apply whether dealing with simple files, complex containers, or multi-level nested structures, reducing enforcement complexity through consistent handling of diverse resource structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method of enforcing granular access policy for embedded artifacts comprises: detecting an association of an embedded artifact with a resource container; associating the embedded artifact with at least a subset of an access control policy associated with the resource container; and responsive to receiving an access request to access the embedded artifact, applying the access control policy associated with the resource container for determining whether the access request is grantable.