OAuth Token Transfer Between CMSs Without Vault-Based Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data transfer methods between computer systems face challenges in ensuring authorized access and managing authentication securely, particularly in multi-tenant systems, leading to potential unauthorized access and burdensome maintenance of authentication secrets.
Innovation Solution
Utilizes OAuth-generated tokens to facilitate secure, automated data transfer between content management systems by limiting access scope and employing proxy profiles to manage user identities, reducing dependency on vault services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional vault servers are used to store authentication information, then data security is maintained, but system complexity and maintenance burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication information from centralized vault servers and embeds it directly into OAuth tokens. This eliminates the need for separate vault server infrastructure while maintaining security, as the authentication credentials are now self-contained within the token structure rather than stored externally in complex vault systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service authentication by using OAuth tokens that contain all necessary authentication information. The tokens automatically manage their own validity through expiration mechanisms and scope limitations, eliminating the need for external vault servers to manage and distribute authentication credentials
2Reliability
If OAuth tokens with limited scope are used, then security risks are reduced, but authentication management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments authentication permissions into specific scopes within OAuth tokens. Each token is issued with only the minimum necessary permissions for a particular operation, dividing the authentication management into granular, controlled units rather than using broad, monolithic access credentials
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic authentication management where token scopes and expiration times are adjusted based on specific operational requirements. Tokens can be issued with different validity periods and permission levels depending on the data transfer context, allowing flexible security management without fixed complex rules
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex data structures are transferred between systems, then data utility is improved, but authorization verification becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary authorization verification by embedding validated OAuth tokens with the complex data structures during the data preparation phase. This ensures that authorization is already confirmed before the data leaves the source system, eliminating the need for repeated complex verification processes at the target system
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques for moving data. In one embodiment, OAuth tokens are used to automate the retrieval of data on remote systems. A frontend application user may select objects to be moved between systems. An OAuth token may be generated by the source server. In some embodiments, the token is passed between content management systems to move data between the content management systems. The OAuth token may be used in an automated background process to retrieve data objects from a source server and send the tokens from a source CMS to a target CMS, where a user may access the data objects.