Microservice Package Authentication Before Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication techniques for microservices in a microservice architecture are inefficient, leading to delayed deployment, high computing resource consumption, and potential compromise of metadata, failing to authenticate microservices within containers and before deployment.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for authenticating microservices before deployment, involving the receipt of a microservice package with encrypted Vendor IDs (VIDs), decryption using a VID encryption key, comparison with predefined lists, and optional validation of authentication identities based on predefined configurations, optimizing the authentication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing authentication techniques are used for microservices, then security is maintained, but deployment time increases and computing resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs authentication of microservices before deployment by validating metadata (including encrypted Vendor IDs and authentication identities) during the packaging stage. This preliminary authentication ensures that only authorized microservices are deployed, maintaining security while reducing deployment time by eliminating post-packaging authentication delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication process is segmented into distinct components: Vendor ID verification, authentication identity validation, and metadata verification. By dividing the authentication process into separate manageable segments, the system can efficiently validate each component independently, reducing overall authentication overhead and deployment time while maintaining comprehensive security checks.
2Reliability
If existing authentication techniques are used for microservices, then security is maintained, but computing resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts critical authentication information (Vendor IDs and authentication identities) into metadata that is packaged with microservices. By extracting authentication data from the microservice code itself and placing it in separate metadata structures, the system can validate authentication credentials without loading or executing the full microservice, significantly reducing computing resource consumption during authentication while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
Authentication validation is performed in advance during the microservice packaging and deployment preparation phase. By completing authentication checks before the microservice is fully deployed and activated, the system avoids the need for continuous resource-intensive authentication processes during runtime, thereby reducing overall computing resource consumption while ensuring security requirements are met.
3Reliability
If authentication identity validation is performed for all microservices, then security is improved, but deployment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective authentication identity validation based on predefined configurations and risk assessments. Instead of uniformly validating authentication identities for all microservices, the system applies validation selectively to microservices with higher security requirements or those from less trusted vendors. This localized quality approach maintains high security for critical services while reducing deployment time for lower-risk microservices.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for authentication before deployment of microservices is disclosed. For a first microservice of one or more microservices provided by a vendor, the method includes receiving a microservice package corresponding to the first microservice from a server. The microservice package may include metadata of the first microservice. The metadata may include an encrypted Vendor ID (VID) corresponding to the first microservice, and an authentication identity. Upon receiving the microservice package, the method further includes decrypting the encrypted VID using a VID encryption key to obtain the VID; authenticating the first microservice by comparing the VID with each of a predefined list of VIDs; based on a successful authentication, validating the authentication identity based on an authentication technique; and managing deployment of the first microservice of the one or more microservices in a product.