Entry Point Node Authentication for Distributed System Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed computing systems, limited knowledge among compute nodes hinders efficient communication and management, particularly when external nodes attempt to access services, leading to inefficiencies and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an entry point compute node that authenticates and validates external nodes, using system view information exchanged among nodes via epidemic protocols and natural interactions to manage communications, allocate resources, and regulate access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If compute nodes operate with limited knowledge of other nodes, then system complexity is reduced, but communication efficiency and decision-making quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized node information database that serves as an intermediary, collecting and storing comprehensive information about all compute nodes including their capabilities, current workload, and status. This centralized repository allows nodes to make informed decisions without direct complex peer-to-peer knowledge, resolving the contradiction between limited individual knowledge and system-wide efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms where compute nodes report their status, workload, and capabilities to the centralized database, which then provides updated information back to nodes needing to make decisions. This feedback loop enables efficient communication and decision-making while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured information flow.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external compute nodes are allowed to access services, then system versatility and service accessibility improve, but security risks and system vulnerability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway node as an intermediary between external compute nodes and internal system services. This gateway node validates credentials, checks permissions, and controls access to internal resources, allowing versatile service accessibility while maintaining security by filtering and regulating all external communications through a controlled interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation and authentication of external compute nodes before granting access to services. The gateway node checks credentials, verifies permissions, and establishes security policies in advance, preventing unauthorized access while allowing legitimate external nodes to access services, thus resolving the security-versus-accessibility contradiction.
3Productivity
If comprehensive system view information is collected and exchanged among nodes, then communication efficiency and resource allocation improve, but information transmission overhead and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts comprehensive system view information collection and storage from individual compute nodes and centralizes it in a dedicated database. This separation allows nodes to access needed information without maintaining full system views themselves, improving resource allocation efficiency while reducing the information transmission overhead and processing complexity at each node.
4Reliability
If entry point nodes validate and authenticate external nodes, then system security improves, but communication overhead and access time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway node performs authentication and validation of external compute nodes as preliminary actions before granting service access. By completing security checks in advance and caching validation results, the system ensures strong security while minimizing the time impact on legitimate access, as subsequent communications from authenticated nodes experience reduced overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for distributed computing system node management are described herein. In some cases, internal compute nodes (i.e., compute nodes that are allocated to the distributed system) may be mutually trusted such that they may freely establish communications with one another. By contrast, external compute nodes (i.e., compute nodes that aren't allocated to the distributed computing system) may be untrusted such that their access to the distributed system may be regulated. In some cases, one or more of the compute nodes within the distributed computing system may maintain respective collections of system view information. Each respective collection of system view information may include, for example, information associated with the corresponding compute node's view of the distributed computing system based on information that is available to the corresponding compute node.