Software Compliance Assessment in Dynamic Cloud Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack an efficient mechanism to assess the level of compliance with required resource characteristics in service-based technologies, particularly in cloud computing environments, where resources can change dynamically, leading to transparency and auditing challenges.
Innovation Solution
A software compliance assessment apparatus that identifies resources, retrieves compliance characteristics, selects appropriate software components to provide actual parameters, and evaluates compliance criteria, adapting to changes in resources without interrupting the software application or redeploying the compliance architecture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If resources are dynamically changed in cloud computing environments, then adaptability and elasticity are improved, but transparency and auditing compliance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback mechanisms where the compliance assessment component monitors resource characteristics in real-time, compares them against compliance criteria, and updates compliance levels dynamically. This feedback loop enables the system to detect and measure compliance status continuously despite resource changes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and auditing difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The compliance assessment component operates autonomously within the cloud computing environment, self-monitoring resource characteristics and compliance status without requiring external intervention. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain transparency and auditability while resources dynamically change, as the component continuously tracks compliance state on its own.
2Measurement precision
If compliance assessment is performed continuously in dynamic environments, then compliance monitoring accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compliance assessment component is designed as a universal module that can assess multiple compliance criteria across different resource types (compute, storage, network) using a unified architecture. This multi-functionality achieves continuous monitoring accuracy without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same component handles various compliance assessment tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The compliance assessment component is segmented into distinct functional modules: resource identification, characteristic retrieval, compliance criterion comparison, and compliance level determination. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function independently, maintaining measurement precision while managing overall system complexity through modular design.
3Measurement precision
If compliance assessment requires resource identification and parameter retrieval, then compliance evaluation accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying resources and pre-retrieving their characteristics when changes occur, rather than performing these operations during the full compliance assessment cycle. This preliminary action reduces the time required for subsequent compliance evaluation while maintaining accuracy, as the foundation data is already prepared.
Solution Approach 2:
The compliance assessment component operates continuously, maintaining constant monitoring of resource characteristics without interruption. This continuous action eliminates the need for periodic batch processing, reducing total assessment time while improving accuracy through uninterrupted monitoring. The useful action of compliance evaluation continues seamlessly alongside resource operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A software compliance assessment apparatus for determining a level of compliance of a software application in execution in a virtualized computing environment, the apparatus comprising: an identifier component operable to identify resources instantiated for execution of the application; a retriever component operable to retrieve a compliance characteristic for the application, the compliance characteristic being retrieved based on the identified resources, and the compliance characteristic having associated a compliance criterion based on a formal parameter; a selector component operable to select a software component for providing an actual parameter corresponding to the formal parameter, the actual parameter being based on data concerning at least one of the resources; an evaluator component operable to evaluate the compliance criterion using the actual parameter; and a detector component operable to detect a change to one or more of the resources, wherein the identifier component, selector component and evaluator component are operable in response to a determination by the detector component that one or more resources is changed, wherein the selector component selects the software component based on an identification of one or more data items that the software component is operable to provide.