Global Endpoint Credential Routing Across Regional Directories

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing managed directory services face challenges in allowing users to access resources across separate directories without requiring new credentials, and administrators struggle with managing directories without the need for complex infrastructure and hardware.

Innovation Solution

A global endpoint system that uses a route service and content delivery networks (CDNs) to redirect user credentials to the appropriate regional service for authentication, allowing users to access applications or services with their existing credentials, and provides a user management and authentication system with APIs for managing directories.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users access resources across separate directories using existing credentials, then cross-directory access convenience is improved, but system complexity increases due to the need for global endpoint and route service

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-directory access convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a global endpoint and route service as intermediary components that mediate between users and multiple regional directories. The global endpoint receives authentication requests with credentials, the route service determines the appropriate regional directory based on the credentials, and redirects the request accordingly. This intermediary layer enables seamless cross-directory access while abstracting the complexity from users, allowing them to use existing credentials without needing to know about the underlying multi-directory architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If administrators manage directories without complex infrastructure, then ease of management is improved, but functionality is reduced compared to traditional data servers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of managementVSAvoidfunctionality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the directory management functionality from traditional complex data server infrastructure and separates it into independent regional directories hosted on standard computing systems. Instead of requiring a single complex data server with dedicated hardware and cooling facilities, the system extracts directory services into multiple simpler regional directories that can be managed independently. This extraction allows administrators to manage directories with reduced infrastructure complexity while maintaining full functionality through the global endpoint that coordinates access across all regional directories.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a global endpoint system is implemented to redirect credentials to regional services, then cross-directory access is enabled, but infrastructure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-directory access capabilityVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The global endpoint is designed as a universal system that can handle authentication requests for multiple different regional directories through a single interface. Instead of requiring separate access mechanisms for each directory, the global endpoint provides multi-functional capability to redirect credentials to any regional directory based on the route service's determination. This universality enables cross-directory access capability while consolidating the infrastructure into a single coordinated system rather than requiring multiple separate complex setups.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3537689B1Using credentials stored in different directories to access a common endpoint
Publication Date: 2024.02.21 AMAZON TECH INC
  • EP3537689B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3537689B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3537689B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A global endpoint may be associated with an organization name and a plurality of directories located in different geographic regions. The global endpoint may be a computing system that hosts a page used by users to access an application or service. A user may be able to access the application or service using already existing credentials. For example, the user may access the application or service using credentials stored and maintained by an entity with which the user is affiliated. Users having credentials stored in different geographic regions may be able to access the application or service via the same global endpoint.