Policy Engine Partial Validation for Security Token Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The validation of security tokens in cloud-based systems is a resource-consuming and time-intensive process due to the use of different authentication protocols by various identity providers, leading to increased complexity and redundant processing.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a sequence of partial policy validations, where common functions across policies are identified and work products from failed policies are transferred to succeeding policies to eliminate redundant processing, allowing the policy engine to validate security tokens more efficiently by leveraging previously completed processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple identity providers with different authentication protocols are used to authenticate users, then the system supports diverse authentication methods and identity providers, but the complexity of validating security tokens increases and processing time is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The validation process is segmented into multiple independent policy stages, where each policy represents a distinct validation rule set. The policy engine processes policies sequentially, allowing each to handle specific identity provider protocols independently. This segmentation enables the system to support multiple identity providers while managing complexity through modular, staged validation rather than monolithic processing.
2Reliability
If full policy validation is performed for each security token, then thorough security checking is achieved, but processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation actions by executing policies in sequence and capturing work products from each policy attempt. When a policy partially validates a token before failing, the work product (partial validation results) is preserved and transferred to subsequent policies. This preliminary action prevents redundant processing in later policies, reducing overall validation time while maintaining thorough security checking through multiple policy layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers and reuses work products generated during partial policy validations. Instead of discarding the validation efforts from failed policies, the engine captures and transfers these work products to succeeding policies. This recovery mechanism eliminates redundant processing steps while maintaining the reliability of full security validation, as each policy builds upon previous validation work rather than repeating it.
3Reliability
If each policy independently validates the entire security token, then each policy can enforce its rules completely, but redundant processing occurs and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The policy engine implements feedback by capturing work products from each policy validation attempt and feeding them forward to subsequent policies. When a policy partially validates a token, the work product is transferred to the next policy in the sequence. This feedback mechanism ensures that policy rules are enforced reliably (each policy can focus on its specific rules) while improving productivity by eliminating redundant validation steps through information reuse from previous policy executions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A policy engine validates one or more security tokens in an authenticated request using a sequence of partial policy validations. Multiple policies may be applied to the security token using the work product generated from each failed policy. The policy that succeeds in validating the security token has a portion of its work performed through previously-failed policies that did not complete successfully. In this manner, the validation of a policy is performed faster and more efficiently since the previous processing is not repeated whenever a new policy is applied.