NFV vSW Hardware Trust Verification via Mediator Controllers

The patent introduces trust controllers as intermediary components that mediate between the hardware trust server and vSWs. The trust controllers establish hardware trust relationships with the trust server and verify target vSW trust status, acting as intermediaries that simplify the integration complexity while maintaining security. This mediator layer handles the complex trust verification logic centrally, reducing the burden on individual vSWs and making the overall system more manageable.

The patent implements preliminary hardware trust verification where the source trust controller verifies the target vSW's hardware trust status before VDU transfer begins. By performing this verification in advance rather than during each data transfer operation, the system ensures security while minimizing impact on transfer speed. The trust verification relationship is established beforehand, allowing subsequent transfers to proceed efficiently without repeated verification overhead.

The patent creates a universal hardware trust verification mechanism that works across multiple physical networks and vSWs. The trust server and trust controllers establish a universal trust relationship that can verify hardware trust status regardless of which physical network or vSW is involved. This universal approach allows VNFs to communicate securely across different physical boundaries while maintaining the security guarantees of hardware trust verification, thereby increasing system adaptability without sacrificing security.