Provider-Arbitrated Access Manager for Cloud Service Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large-scale cloud computing environments, managing access control for distributed services across multiple data centers is complex due to the need for secure and efficient provisioning of resources, especially when unintentional configuration errors or malicious actions could lead to service interruptions, requiring new access control techniques beyond traditional methods.
Innovation Solution
Implementing provider-arbitrated mandatory access control policies (MACPs) within cloud computing environments, where an access manager enforces policies specified by service managers to restrict certain operations on resources, ensuring that only authorized actions can be performed, even by resource owners, thereby preventing unintended or malicious changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional access control methods are used in cloud computing environments, then resource owners have full control over their resources, but unintentional configuration errors or malicious actions can lead to service interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an access manager as an intermediary component between service managers and resource owners. This access manager enforces mandatory access control policies that mediate between the desire for full resource control and the need to prevent unauthorized operations. The access manager sits in the decision path, evaluating access requests against defined policies before allowing operations on resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the access control parameters from discretionary (owner-controlled) to mandatory (policy-enforced). By introducing parameterized access control policies that can be configured with different permission levels and operational constraints, the system transforms the access control mechanism to balance flexibility and safety through configurable parameters rather than fixed owner authority.
2Reliability
If provider-arbitrated mandatory access control policies are implemented, then unauthorized operations are prevented and service stability is improved, but access control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the access control functionality into distinct components: service managers that define policies, an access manager that enforces policies, and resource owners that operate resources. This segmentation distributes complexity across specialized components rather than concentrating it in a single system, making the overall access control mechanism more manageable while maintaining strong security.
Solution Approach 2:
The access manager serves as a centralized intermediary that handles all access control decisions. By consolidating the enforcement logic in this single component, the system manages complexity centrally while keeping the interfaces simple for service managers and resource owners. The access manager absorbs the complexity of policy evaluation and interpretation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If mandatory access control policies are enforced, then security against malicious actions is improved, but operational flexibility for resource management is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different access control policies to be applied to different resources or resource types. Rather than a uniform restriction, the system can enforce mandatory access control with varying parameters (allowed operations, time windows, conditions) tailored to the specific resource being accessed. This enables security while preserving operational flexibility where appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control system is made dynamic through time-windowed policies and conditional access rules. Policies can be active only during specific time periods or under specific conditions, allowing the system to adapt access control strictness based on contextual factors. This dynamic behavior enables the system to prevent malicious actions when needed while allowing flexible operations when safe.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for provider-arbitrated mandatory access control policies in cloud computing environments are disclosed. A system includes an access manager, and a plurality of resources configurable to provide a plurality of distributed, web-accessible services. Each service has a respective service manager. The access manager determines whether a mandatory access control policy document specified by a service manager of a particular service applies to an administration request, wherein the policy indicates that a permission setting for a resource being used to implement at least a portion of the particular service cannot be modified by a client with administrative rights on the resource. In response to determining that the policy document applies, and that an evaluation of the policy document indicates that an administrative operation specified in the administration request is prohibited by the policy, the access manager rejects the administration request.