Runtime Application Security Adaptation in Cloud VM Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud computing environments face challenges in ensuring application security and regulatory compliance when traditional applications are migrated, as existing methods increase complexity and reduce flexibility by providing isolation at the virtual machine level, leading to inefficient resource utilization and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The application runtime environment is notified of changes in its execution environment, allowing it to dynamically modify its behavior by disabling or enabling application modules based on their security attributes, querying a service registry for environment-specific modules, and using a trusted module registry for enhanced security, thereby adapting to virtualized or cloud environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional applications are migrated to cloud computing environments with virtual machine level isolation, then application security is improved, but device complexity and resource management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an application runtime environment as an intermediary layer between the application and the virtual machine infrastructure. This runtime environment provides security and compliance enforcement at the application level rather than requiring complex virtual machine level isolation, thereby improving security while reducing resource management complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The application runtime environment enables applications to self-manage their security and compliance requirements through dynamic modification of execution behavior based on security attributes. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external complex resource management and isolation mechanisms
2Reliability
If virtual machine level isolation is implemented for application security, then security is improved, but productivity and resource utilization efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the application runtime environment as an intermediary, the patent enables security enforcement without requiring resource-intensive virtual machine level isolation. This allows multiple applications to share the same infrastructure efficiently while maintaining security through the runtime's security policies
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically modifies execution parameters of applications based on their security attributes and the current execution environment. This allows the system to adapt security measures in real-time without permanently isolating applications, thereby maintaining productivity while ensuring security
3Adaptability or versatility
If applications are dynamically modified based on execution environment changes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The application runtime environment is designed to automatically detect execution environment changes and dynamically modify application execution behavior without external intervention. This self-service capability provides high adaptability while keeping the runtime environment relatively simple by leveraging the application's own security attributes
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for runtime based application security. The application runtime environment executing within a virtual machine on the data processing system receives notification of a change in execution environment for the virtual machine. Responsive to determining the virtual machine is being migrated to a virtualized environment based on the notification of a change in execution environment, the application runtime environment dynamically modifies execution of an application in the application runtime environment, wherein the application comprises a set of application modules.