Secure Container Preemption via Watchdog Timer and Cryptographic Signatures

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Solution Overview

Problem

In secure computation environments, existing technologies face challenges in efficiently preempting or terminating containers to enhance performance, particularly when dealing with untrusted high-level operating systems and the need to prioritize trusted containers based on cryptographic privileges and ongoing operations.

Innovation Solution

A secure computation environment with a preemption manager that uses a watchdog timer and cryptographic signatures to determine when to preempt containers, allowing trusted containers additional processing time and ensuring that critical operations are completed before termination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the high-level operating system preempts a container in the secure computation environment, then the system can respond to external events and schedule subsequent containers, but the execution of the current container may be interrupted before completion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer scheduling efficiencyVSAvoidcontainer execution completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic preemption control by allowing the high-level operating system to preempt containers based on scheduling needs while maintaining the ability to complete critical operations. The system dynamically adjusts container execution based on system state, enabling both responsive scheduling and reliable execution completion when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by implementing a preemption manager that monitors container execution and identifies critical operations that should not be interrupted. The system prepares protection mechanisms in advance to ensure that even when preemption occurs, critical cryptographic operations can complete or are properly handled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Ease of operation

If the system allows untrusted high-level operating system to control container preemption, then the operating system can manage system resources, but the security of the secure computation environment may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem resource managementVSAvoidsecurity risk from untrusted entity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a preemption manager as an intermediary component between the high-level operating system and the secure computation environment. This intermediary verifies cryptographic signatures and enforces preemption policies, allowing the untrusted operating system to request preemption while preventing it from directly compromising secure container execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by implementing different trust levels and preemption policies for different containers based on their cryptographic signatures. Trusted containers with valid signatures receive enhanced protection and cannot be preempted arbitrarily, while untrusted containers can be preempted according to normal scheduling policies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of time

If the system preempts containers based on watchdog timer expiration, then container execution time is controlled, but trusted containers may be terminated before completing critical operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer execution time controlVSAvoidcritical operation completion

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of container execution by implementing different watchdog timer configurations based on container trust level. Trusted containers with valid cryptographic signatures are assigned extended or disabled watchdog timers, allowing them to complete critical operations without arbitrary termination, while untrusted containers adhere to standard time limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If the system executes multiple containers in sequence, then system throughput is improved, but a crashing container can prevent subsequent containers from executing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem throughputVSAvoidcontainer execution continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the container execution environment from the untrusted high-level operating system into a secure computation environment. This isolation ensures that when a container crashes or is preempted, the secure environment can properly terminate it and proceed to execute subsequent containers without being affected by the failure, maintaining system throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12050719B2Preemption of a container in a secure computation environment

Publication Date: 2024.07.30 CRYPTOGRAPHY RESEARCH INC

AI summary

A container corresponding to executable code may be received. The container may be executed in a secure computation environment by performing one or more operations specified by the executable code of the container. An instruction to terminate the executing of the container may be received from a high level operating system (HLOS) that is external to the secure computation environment. A determination may be made as to whether the container is associated with a preemption privilege and the executing of the container may be terminated after receiving the instruction from the HLOS based on the determination of whether the container is associated with the preemption privilege.