Information Processing Device Policy Enforcement via Open Policy Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing workflow management systems face difficulties in effectively controlling policies and improving work efficiency due to manual input requirements and discrepancies in rule definitions, leading to inconsistent policy enforcement and reduced business productivity.
Innovation Solution
An information processing program and device that utilize an Open Policy Agent (OPA) to automate policy enforcement by associating predetermined policies with user-selectable variables and Web APIs, narrowing execution results to conform to policies, and presenting narrowed values to users, thereby streamlining workflow processing and reducing manual errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual input methods are used for workflow processing, then users can input data freely, but policy enforcement becomes inconsistent and work efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining policies, variables, and API mappings in a configuration file before workflow execution. The Open Policy Agent loads and compiles these policies in advance, so that when users interact with the workflow, policy enforcement is already prepared and immediately applicable, ensuring consistent enforcement without manual intervention during execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The Open Policy Agent acts as an intermediary between the workflow management system and policy enforcement. It receives workflow execution requests, automatically retrieves relevant policies based on mapped variables and APIs, evaluates compliance, and returns enforcement decisions. This intermediary layer ensures consistent policy application while maintaining workflow productivity.
2Reliability
If automated policy enforcement is implemented using OPA, then policy consistency improves, but system complexity increases due to configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses configuration files that contain copied and structured representations of policies, variables, and API mappings. Instead of hardcoding complex enforcement logic, the policies are defined in external configuration files that can be independently managed, versioned, and validated. This copying approach simplifies the actual system implementation while maintaining enforcement consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The Open Policy Agent implements self-service by automatically mapping workflow variables to policy parameters and retrieving applicable policies without manual intervention. The system autonomously loads configuration files, parses variable mappings, evaluates policies against current workflow state, and enforces decisions. This self-service capability reduces operational complexity while ensuring consistent policy enforcement.
3Ease of operation
If users are required to manually ensure policy compliance, then flexibility is maintained, but time consumption increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by automatically evaluating workflow execution against defined policies and providing real-time compliance information. The Open Policy Agent monitors variable values and API calls, compares them against policy rules, and returns enforcement decisions that guide user actions. This automated feedback loop maintains user flexibility in workflow execution while eliminating time-consuming manual compliance checks.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores an information processing program for causing a computer to execute processing according to a sequence that includes an operation of a user, using an application program interface (API). The processing includes: generating correspondence information in which a predetermined policy, a predetermined variable of a first API to which the predetermined policy is applied in a predetermined sequence, and a second API that specifies a value of the predetermined variable that is selectable by the user are associated with each other; narrowing an execution result of the second API to a value that satisfies the predetermined policy based on the correspondence information in a case where the second API is executed according to the predetermined sequence; and presenting a result narrowed as a selectable value for the predetermined variable to the user.