Format Conversion Intermediary for Protocol Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guard servers are inflexible and costly due to their tight coupling with applications, requiring reprogramming to recognize new data formats, which limits flexibility and increases integration costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where data is automatically transformed into compatible formats using a library of transformation routines, allowing data to be transmitted between applications with different protocol standards without reprogramming the guard server or all machines, enabling seamless data exchange across protected enclaves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the guard server is reprogrammed to recognize a new data format, then the guard server can filter and route data in that format, but the system becomes time-consuming and costly to modify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a format conversion component as an intermediary between the application and the guard server. This mediator automatically converts application data formats to guard server recognized formats in real-time, eliminating the need to reprogram either the application or the guard server when new data formats are introduced. The conversion happens transparently through the use of format conversion rules and routines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data exchange system into distinct functional components: the application layer, the format conversion layer, and the guard server layer. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its own format capabilities independently, with the format conversion layer handling the adaptation between different formats without requiring modifications to the core guard server or application.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all machines running applications are reprogrammed to recognize guard server data formats, then data exchange becomes possible, but the integration cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The format conversion component serves as a cost-effective intermediary that handles format translation centrally. Instead of requiring expensive reprogramming of all application machines, the conversion functionality is provided through a shared component that can be deployed once and serves multiple applications, significantly reducing integration costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The format conversion component is designed to be universal and multi-functional, capable of handling multiple data formats through configurable conversion rules. This single universal component can serve multiple applications with different data formats, eliminating the need for separate reprogramming efforts for each machine or application.
3Reliability
If the guard server tightly couples with applications to understand their data formats, then filtering accuracy improves, but the system loses flexibility and increases vendor lock-in
Solution Approach 1:
The format conversion component acts as a buffer that decouples the guard server from application-specific data formats. The guard server maintains reliable filtering by working with standardized formats it understands, while the intermediary handles the adaptation to various application formats. This preserves filtering accuracy while maintaining system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the coupling between guard server and applications by inserting a format conversion layer. This segmentation allows the guard server to maintain its filtering logic independently while the conversion layer handles format adaptation, preventing tight coupling and vendor lock-in while preserving filtering reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
In exemplary embodiments, data with a format compatible with a first protocol standard is received on behalf of a first application. When the format of the data is not compatible with a second protocol standard, the format of the data is automatically transformed to a format that is compatible with the second protocol standard. The data is transmitted to a second application service using the second protocol standard. The data may be received from the second application. When the format of the data is not compatible with a third protocol standard, the format of the data is automatically transformed to a format that is compatible with the third protocol standard. The data is transmitted on behalf of a third application using the third protocol standard. The first and third applications may be in first and second protected enclaves. The second application may include a security gateway service.