Portable Network Interfaces for License Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of managing license management and authenticating access to services in provider networks, especially as the autonomy and control granted to clients expand, increases the difficulty in maintaining secure and efficient service authentication.
Innovation Solution
The use of portable network interfaces, specifically interface records (IRs), managed by a network interface virtualization manager (NIVM) and an authentication coordinator, enables secure service authentication by allowing clients to attach and detach IRs from resource instances, thereby controlling network connectivity and authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If clients are granted expanded autonomy and control to manage networking characteristics such as IP addresses, then client flexibility and control are improved, but the complexity of managing license management and authenticating access to services increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication coordinator as an intermediary component that mediates between clients with expanded autonomy and the license management system. This coordinator handles authentication requests and license verification, allowing clients to maintain control over their networking characteristics while the coordinator manages the complexity of license enforcement and access authentication.
2Productivity
If virtualization technologies are used to share computing resources among multiple customers, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but the complexity of provisioning and managing physical computing resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements virtualization technologies that allow a single physical computing machine to serve multiple customers through virtual machines. The authentication coordinator provides universal authentication capabilities across different virtual machines and customers, enabling resource sharing while managing licensing centrally. This multi-functional approach allows the same infrastructure to serve diverse customers with different needs.
3Reliability
If service authentication mechanisms are strengthened to prevent malicious misuse, then security is improved, but the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of service delivery may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions where the authentication coordinator verifies licenses and authentication credentials before services are delivered. By performing authentication checks in advance and maintaining authentication states, the system ensures security while avoiding repeated verification overhead during service delivery, thus maintaining efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for portable network interfaces to manage authentication and license enforcement. A system may include a plurality of resource instances including a producer instance configured to implement a network-accessible service, and an authentication coordinator. The coordinator may assign an interface record to the service, wherein the interface record comprises an IP address and a set of security properties. The coordinator may configure the security properties to allow a client to request an attachment of the interface record to a selected resource instance, such that the selected resource instance is enabled to transmit network messages from the IP address using one or more physical network interfaces of the selected resource instance. The producer resource instance initiates authentication operations for the service, including at least one authentication operation based on the IP address of the interface record.