Network Modeling Templates as Fixed Endpoints for Dynamic Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
End-to-end network modeling technologies face challenges in accurately predicting and understanding network access and control in dynamic environments with template-based provisioning, where endpoints are not pre-defined and security rules are dynamically associated with multiple endpoints, making it difficult to gather instant telemetry and enforce policies effectively.
Innovation Solution
A network modeling scheme that treats templates as fixed endpoints, allowing for the distinction between dynamic and static rule types, and models template groups as structural objects to analyze and enforce policies across the network, enabling accurate access determination in dynamically provisioned environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If template-based provisioning is used to dynamically provision endpoints, then adaptability and versatility of the network are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring network access increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces template enforcement points as intermediary entities that mediate between dynamic endpoint provisioning and policy enforcement. These intermediaries abstract the complexity by providing a standardized interface for applying policies to dynamically provisioned endpoints, allowing the network to adapt to changing endpoints without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments network access control into two distinct domains: template-level policy definitions and endpoint-level policy enforcement. This segmentation allows policies to be defined once at the template level and automatically applied to multiple dynamically provisioned endpoints, reducing the complexity of managing access control for each individual endpoint
2Adaptability or versatility
If template-based provisioning is used with dynamic endpoint mapping, then adaptability is improved, but measurement precision of network access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where template enforcement points continuously monitor and report back the actual network access patterns of dynamically provisioned endpoints. This feedback loop enables the system to verify whether policies are being correctly applied and to identify any deviations, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite dynamic endpoint mapping
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the network model that mirrors the actual network topology and policy enforcement points. This copied model allows for accurate tracking and measurement of network access without interfering with the dynamic nature of the actual endpoints, enabling precise measurement while maintaining adaptability
3Reliability
If end-to-end network modeling is extended to include template-based provisioning, then reliability of access determination is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-defining policy templates and enforcement rules before endpoints are actually provisioned. This allows the modeling system to anticipate and prepare for dynamic endpoint creation, ensuring reliable access determination from the moment an endpoint is provisioned without requiring complex real-time analysis of each new endpoint
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal template enforcement points that can handle multiple types of dynamically provisioned endpoints through a single standardized interface. This multi-functionality allows the same enforcement mechanism to reliably manage access for various endpoint types without requiring separate complex modeling for each endpoint type
Data Source
AI summary
A network analysis tool is provided in support of a data communication network having dynamically provisioned devices at indeterminate endpoints wherein templates, namely, the collection of meta-data about dynamically provisioned devices on a network (beyond the conventional networking concept of an endpoint address), are modeled as fixed endpoints for purposes of tracking. In a specific embodiment, template groups are generated as network interfaces for a modeled template enforcement device, and template groups are represented as if they are network endpoints connected to a template enforcement device, and a device description for the template enforcement device is produced.