Role Extension Service for Fine-Grained Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Role Based Access Control (RBAC) systems face challenges in efficiently managing fine-grained access privileges due to user diversity and proliferation of roles, leading to administrative burdens and difficulties in integrating with existing systems, especially in dynamic enterprises with complex IT infrastructures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a role extension service that receives role requests and assignments, evaluates resource associations, applies resource decorations, and modifies role assignments to enforce fine-grained access restrictions, allowing for the extension of generic role definitions without impacting existing systems, using an augmentation service to provide more granular access permissions and restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Role Based Access Control (RBAC) systems are used to manage user access, then security and streamlined user administration are improved, but the number of roles proliferates to equal or exceed the number of users due to user diversity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the role management system into multiple independent components: a base RBAC system for core functionality and separate role extension services for fine-grained access control. This segmentation allows the system to maintain a manageable number of base roles while adding granularity through extensions, preventing role proliferation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces role extension services as intermediary components between users and resources. These services act as mediators that intercept and modify role assignments, adding fine-grained access control logic without requiring proliferation of base roles. The intermediary layer handles the complexity of fine-grained control while the core RBAC system remains simple.
2Measurement precision
If fine-grained role approaches are required to represent user diversity, then access control precision is improved, but the number of roles may equal or exceed the number of users, losing the advantage of grouping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to role management by introducing role extensions that layer fine-grained control on top of existing roles. Instead of creating more roles horizontally, the system extends roles vertically through multiple layers of abstraction, achieving fine granularity without increasing the number of base roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where role extensions are contained within base roles. Each base role can have multiple extensions that add specific access control logic for different resources or contexts. This nesting allows fine-grained control to be embedded within a smaller number of parent roles, maintaining the grouping advantage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional RBAC systems are used, then basic role management is achieved, but integration with existing systems is difficult and multiple disparate systems cannot add role functionality without affecting other applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal role extension service that can be applied across multiple disparate systems and applications. The extension service provides a standardized interface that allows different systems to add fine-grained role functionality without modifying other applications. This multi-functional approach enables consistent role management across diverse systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fine-grained role management functionality from the core RBAC system and places it in separate role extension services. This extraction allows individual systems to add role functionality independently by implementing their own extensions, without affecting the core system or other applications. Each system can take out and customize its own role extensions as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, techniques for role management systems are provided. According to an embodiment, a method is provided to allow a role management system to be configured, modified, and restricted. Specific roles assignments may be decorated to be meaningful to an application but which are not generally applicable to an original role specification. A Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) role request response may be modified by an augmentation service, which evaluates a resource association to identify an appropriate resource profile. Resource decorations are identified by the selected profile, and are applied to the role request response.