Proxy Object Integrity Checker for Federated Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Federated records management systems face challenges in maintaining the integrity of externally stored content items, as local systems or processes may delete or modify data without authorization, posing compliance risks, especially during legal proceedings.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of proxy objects within a records management system that point to externally stored content, combined with a proxy object integrity checker to periodically verify the integrity of these objects, ensuring they remain unchanged and intact by logging exceptions and allowing for corrective actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a federated records management system uses proxy objects to reference externally stored content, then data migration costs are reduced and system flexibility is improved, but the risk of external systems deleting or modifying protected content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary integrity checking mechanism that acts as a mediator between the federated records management system and external systems. The integrity checker periodically verifies the integrity of proxy objects by checking their checksums and comparing them against stored values, thereby protecting against unauthorized modifications while maintaining the federated architecture's flexibility and low migration costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the integrity checker continuously monitors proxy objects and reports any integrity violations back to the records management system. This feedback loop enables the system to detect and respond to modifications or deletions of protected content, maintaining reliability without requiring centralized control or costly data migration.
2Reliability
If compliance controls are applied to each system individually, then data protection is enforced at the source, but scalability and centralization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal integrity checking mechanism that can operate across multiple external systems through the federated architecture. The same integrity checker can verify proxy objects from different external sources using a standardized approach, providing scalable data protection without requiring system-specific implementations while maintaining centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrity checking system operates autonomously, periodically verifying proxy object integrity without requiring manual intervention or system-specific configuration. This self-service capability enables the system to scale across multiple external systems while maintaining consistent protection standards, resolving the contradiction between reliable data protection and system scalability.
3Ease of operation
If proxy objects reference externally stored content without integrity verification, then system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the ability to detect data loss or modification is eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The integrity checker creates and stores a copy of the proxy object's identifying characteristics (such as checksums or hash values) when the proxy is created. This copied information is then used for verification purposes without requiring complex real-time monitoring or modification of the external systems, maintaining operational simplicity while enabling effective integrity detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary integrity verification by storing baseline checksum values of proxy objects at the time of creation or last known good state. These pre-stored values enable future comparisons to detect any modifications or losses, providing a simple yet effective detection mechanism without requiring complex continuous monitoring infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A record is managed by obtaining from an external system on which a stored object comprising the record is stored a property of the stored object as stored on the external system. A stored property associated with the record is compared with the obtained property of the stored object. In the event the comparison does not match, responsive action is taken.