Leader-Signed CWRS Key Distribution Across Node Clusters

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Solution Overview

Problem

In distributed node clusters, node-specific secret keys make scaling and workload migration unworkable due to lack of key sharing and synchronization, leading to inefficiencies in data encryption and decryption.

Innovation Solution

Implement a cluster-wide root secret (CWRS) key generated by a leader node, encrypted using a public key and bootstrap key, and distributed securely to non-leader nodes for encryption and decryption of secret data, ensuring only authorized security systems can access it.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If node-specific secret keys are used for encryption and decryption in distributed clusters, then each node can independently encrypt and decrypt its own data, but scaling becomes untenable and replacement of non-working nodes becomes unworkable due to lack of key sharing and synchronization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenode independenceVSAvoidscaling capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides key management into two segments: node-specific keys for local encryption operations and a cluster-wide root secret key for cross-node synchronization. This segmentation allows nodes to maintain independence for local operations while enabling scalable migration through the shared root key mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cluster-wide root secret key serves multiple functions: it enables workload migration across nodes, facilitates key synchronization, and allows replacement of non-working nodes. This universal key mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing a common reference that works across all nodes in the cluster.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If node-specific secret keys are used for encryption and decryption in distributed clusters, then each node maintains its own security credentials, but replacement of non-working nodes becomes unworkable due to lack of key sharing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity credentialsVSAvoidnode replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The cluster-wide root secret key acts as an intermediary that bridges node-specific security credentials. When a node needs to be replaced, the root key enables the new node to obtain the necessary cryptographic materials to access and decrypt data previously encrypted by the replaced node, making node replacement workable while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a cluster-wide root secret key is generated and distributed across nodes, then workload migration and scaling become feasible, but key distribution security must be ensured through encryption and signing mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkload migrationVSAvoidkey distribution system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The leader node pre-generates the cluster-wide root secret key and prepares it for distribution by encrypting it with each follower node's public key before transmission. This preliminary encryption action ensures that the key material is secure during distribution, reducing the complexity of implementing secure key sharing later.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of sharing the actual root secret key in plaintext across the network, the system creates encrypted copies of the key for each follower node using their respective public keys. Each node receives a copy that is useless to anyone else, enabling secure distribution without increasing actual security risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Reliability

If the leader node encrypts the CWRS key using public key and bootstrap key, then secure distribution is achieved, but the encryption and signing process increases computational overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey distribution securityVSAvoidcomputational overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The encryption process uses local qualities of each node's cryptographic materials: the leader node uses the follower node's public key (which is specific to that node) to encrypt the root secret key. This localized encryption approach ensures that each node receives only its specific encrypted key material, minimizing unnecessary computational overhead for other nodes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12445268B2Cluster-wide root secret key for distributed node clusters

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for implementing a cluster-wide root secret (“CWRS”) key for distributed node clusters. In a multi-node cluster, a leader node has a leader node security system that generates the CWRS key, which is a common secret key for all workloads (e.g., containers or VMs) in the multi-node cluster. The leader node security system encrypts the generated CWRS key using a public key and/or a bootstrap key received from a non-leader node that requests the CWRS key. In examples, the leader node security system signs the encrypted CWRS key using its private key for subsequent verification, by the requesting non-leader node, that the CWRS key was generated by the leader node security system. The CWRS thus encrypted can be securely sent to the requesting non-leader node for subsequent encryption or decryption of secret data by the security system of the non-leader node.