Policy Deconfliction via Directed Acyclic Graph Path Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current policy implementations are system-specific and lack an automated method for identifying conflicts across multiple systems, leading to non-deterministic decision processes, especially in complex cross-system policy solutions.
Innovation Solution
A policy deconfliction method and software that compiles policies into a directed, acyclic graph, performs path analysis on semantic representations to identify and categorize potential conflicts, and provides a practical solution for distinguishing between equivalent, new, and overlapping policies, regardless of policy language.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If theorem provers are used to identify policy conflicts, then conflict detection capability is improved, but computational complexity and resource requirements increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the policy set into individual policy statements and represents them as separate nodes in a directed acyclic graph. This segmentation allows the system to analyze conflicts incrementally by examining paths between nodes rather than attempting to prove the entire policy set simultaneously, reducing computational complexity while maintaining conflict detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational model (the directed acyclic graph with decision paths) that mediates between the raw policy statements and the conflict detection process. This intermediary representation simplifies the analysis by transforming complex policy logic into graph traversal problems, making conflict identification more efficient than direct theorem proving.
2Reliability
If manual coordination and overrides are used for policy changes, then policy enforcement accuracy is maintained, but system maintenance time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary conflict detection by compiling policies into a directed acyclic graph and analyzing decision paths before policy changes are implemented. This preliminary analysis identifies potential conflicts in advance, allowing automated resolution or early warning, thereby reducing the need for time-consuming manual coordination and overrides during system maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If system-specific policy implementations are used, then policy execution control is improved, but cross-system policy consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal directed acyclic graph representation that can model policies from multiple different systems and authorities in a unified framework. This universal representation enables cross-system policy analysis and conflict detection while preserving the specific execution control requirements of individual systems, achieving both localized control and global consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are exemplary policy deconfliction methods and software for identifying conflicts in policy. The policy deconfliction methods and software may be embodied as an implementation of a subset of RuleML (informal/semi-formal) and Attribute Based Semantic Lattice (formal). The policy deconfliction methods and software act on a semantic representation of policy compiled from specific rule languages (e.g. XACML, RuleML). To detect and correct conflicts, the policy deconfliction methods and software perform a path analysis over the semantic representation of the policy to distinguish between equivalent, new, and overlapping policy (potential conflicts), regardless of policy language.