Endpoint Image Deduplication Using Virtual Instance Identity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud computing platforms face challenges in managing security records for abandoned virtual compute instances, leading to record accumulation and increased costs or decreased performance due to unresolved connections and network interruptions.

Innovation Solution

A threat management facility identifies new virtual compute instances by user and template, compares them to existing records, and deduplicates by merging or deleting redundant entries, managing security services externally through a local security agent.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the security platform retains security records for abandoned virtual compute instances, then security monitoring coverage is maintained, but record accumulation increases leading to higher costs and decreased performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity monitoring coverageVSAvoidsecurity service performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of duplicate compute instances by comparing virtual machine identifiers against existing records before fully processing them. This early detection prevents redundant record creation and enables proactive cleanup of abandoned instances, maintaining security coverage while reducing record accumulation that degrades performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the security platform continuously monitors for duplicate compute instances and provides feedback to adjust record retention policies. By analyzing connection status and comparing identifiers, the system dynamically manages which records to retain and which to remove, optimizing the balance between monitoring coverage and performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the security platform continues to manage all virtual compute instances, then comprehensive security coverage is maintained, but computational resources are consumed by redundant processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity coverageVSAvoidcomputational resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges duplicate compute instance records into a single unified record by comparing virtual machine identifiers. When duplicates are detected, the system consolidates their security records, eliminating redundant processing while maintaining comprehensive security coverage. This merging operation reduces the total number of records the system must manage, thereby decreasing computational resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a virtual machine identifier that combines template information and user identification as a copy of the compute instance's identity characteristics. This identifier serves as a key for detecting duplicates without requiring full instance analysis, enabling efficient comparison and consolidation that reduces computational overhead while maintaining security coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If duplicate compute instance records are not removed, then historical security data is preserved, but storage requirements increase and performance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehistorical security dataVSAvoidstorage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and removes duplicate compute instance records from the security platform's database while preserving the unique historical security data associated with each instance. By identifying duplicates through virtual machine identifier comparison and selectively removing redundant entries, the system reduces storage requirements and improves performance while maintaining essential historical data for security analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Extent of automation

If the security platform independently manages compute instances, then security services are provided autonomously, but duplicate records accumulate when users reconnect after network interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous security managementVSAvoidrecord management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12363167B2Deduplication of endpoint images

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 SOPHOS LTD

AI summary

A threat management facility for an enterprise provides security services to a number of virtual compute instances executing on a remote cloud computing platform. In order to prevent or reduce an accumulation of records for abandoned compute instances, each new virtual compute instance is explicitly identified by a user (and optionally a template), and then compared to existing records to identify possible redundancies, which can be deleted or otherwise managed.