Secure Software Provisioning via Certificate Authority Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing software provisioning systems lack secure deployment methods, exposing target machines to security risks during the installation process, as they do not adequately manage access and authorization for software installation files.

Innovation Solution

A provisioning server establishes a secure connection with target machines by using a certificate authority to evaluate security credential requests, granting or denying access based on authentication, ensuring only authorized machines receive software installations, thereby preventing unauthorized access and breaches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If software provisioning is performed without authentication, then deployment speed is improved, but security is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs authentication and security credential verification before the software deployment process begins. The provisioning server evaluates security credentials of target machines in advance, establishing authenticated sessions prior to file transfer, thus ensuring security without compromising deployment speed during the actual provisioning operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If security authentication is implemented, then security is improved, but device complexity is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The provisioning server acts as an intermediary between the software repository and target machines, centralizing the authentication and security credential evaluation processes. This mediator approach manages security complexity in one location while presenting a simplified interface to both the software repository and target machines, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If security credentials are evaluated for all target machines, then security is improved, but processing time is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The provisioning server implements selective authentication by evaluating security credentials only for target machines that are actually receiving software deployments, rather than continuously or preemptively authenticating all machines on the network. This partial action approach maintains security for active provisioning operations while minimizing unnecessary processing time and resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS8413259B2Methods and systems for secure gated file deployment associated with provisioning

Publication Date: 2013.04.02 RED HAT INC

AI summary

A software provisioning server can be configured to communicate with a certificate authority to evaluate security credential requests received from one or more target machines prior to a software installation. The certificate authority can issue certificates to the one or more target machines and notify an administrator and the software provisioning server of the issued certificates. The software provisioning server can manage the software installation to the one or more target machines based on the issued certificates and other specifications.