Secure Console Log Interaction in Data Centers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud-based console services cannot provide historical bootstrap console logs for virtual server instances (VSIs) or bare metal instances before a user initiates a console connection, limiting troubleshooting capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a log multiplexer and a log category knowledge base to categorize, encrypt, and transfer real-time console logs as categorized and encrypted console logs, making them available to users before initiating a console connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cloud-based console services provide historical bootstrap console logs before console connection initiation, then troubleshooting capabilities are enhanced, but security risks increase due to exposure of sensitive log data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and storing console log data in real-time during the bootstrap process before the user initiates console connection. This allows historical logs to be made available later for troubleshooting without waiting for the console connection to be established.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that acts as a buffer between the console log generation process and the user access point. This intermediary captures logs during bootstrap, stores them securely, and makes them available through a controlled interface, thus enabling troubleshooting access while maintaining security through indirect access rather than direct exposure.
2Loss of information
If console logs are captured and stored in real-time during bootstrap, then historical log availability is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional logging infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The logging infrastructure is designed to serve multiple functions: it captures console logs during bootstrap, stores them for historical access, and makes them available through a unified interface. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate systems for log capture, storage, and retrieval, thereby managing complexity while improving log availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service capabilities where the logging infrastructure automatically captures, stores, and manages console log data without requiring manual intervention. The logs are automatically made available to users who initiate console connections, reducing operational complexity while ensuring comprehensive log availability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If console logs are encrypted and categorized, then security and information quality are improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs encryption and categorization of console logs as preliminary actions during the log capture phase, before the logs need to be accessed or processed further. By completing these computationally intensive operations upfront, the system avoids delaying log retrieval and troubleshooting activities, thus minimizing the impact on processing time while maintaining security and information quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: obtaining at least one real-time console log from a compute instance; tagging the at least one real-time console log with at least one log category based on at least one entry within the at least one real-time console log; generating at least one categorized console log; generating at least one encrypted categorized console log based on a public encryption key; publishing the at least one encrypted categorized console log to a log bus; communicating the at least one encrypted categorized console log over at least one multi-port secure tunnel to a user terminal device of a subscribed user; and publishing a private encryption key to the user terminal device of the subscribed user wherein the private encryption key facilitates decrypting the at least one encrypted categorized console log.