Token-Based Group Key Re-Registration for Network Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current group key management systems face CPU-intensive and time-consuming registration processes, particularly during re-registration events such as network failures or power outages, which can overwhelm key servers with simultaneous registration requests.
Innovation Solution
A token-based re-registration method where a key server generates and encrypts a token with a secret key, allowing network elements to re-register efficiently by providing a decrypted token for state recovery and re-registration, reducing the need for full registration state storage and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the key server performs full registration processing for each re-registration request, then security and authentication are maintained, but CPU resources are overwhelmed and processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The key server performs full registration processing in advance during the initial registration phase, generating and storing authentication credentials. During re-registration events, the server only needs to verify pre-generated tokens rather than performing complete registration workflows, significantly reducing per-event processing time while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing complete registration state data for all group members, the system uses cryptographic tokens that contain essential authentication information in condensed form. These tokens act as secure copies that can be verified without requiring the full original registration state, reducing storage and processing requirements
2Productivity
If the key server stores complete registration state for all group members, then re-registration can be processed efficiently, but storage requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential authentication credentials from the complete registration state and stores them as compact cryptographic tokens on client devices. The key server stores only minimal token verification data rather than full registration states, dramatically reducing storage requirements while enabling efficient re-registration through token verification
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the registration state from a large, complex data structure into a compact cryptographic token with specific parameters (token identifier, group identifier, expiration time). This parameter transformation reduces storage requirements while maintaining the essential functionality for re-registration verification
3Reliability
If the system requires full re-registration after network failures or power outages, then authentication security is maintained, but time consumption and bandwidth usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication credentials and cryptographic tokens are generated and stored during the initial registration phase before network failures can occur. When re-registration is needed after interruptions, the system uses these pre-generated tokens for rapid verification rather than performing complete authentication workflows, maintaining security while reducing recovery time
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a fast group key management re-registration is described. One computer-implemented method comprises, at a key server: receiving a registration request from a network element to join a group of network elements managed by the key server; generating and storing a group member registration state comprising information identifying the network element within the group of network elements; generating a token using information from the group member registration state, wherein the token identifies the network element within the group; deleting the group member registration state for the network element at the key server; generating an encrypted token by encrypting the token using a secret key that is local to the key server; sending the encrypted token to the network element; receiving the encrypted token along with a re-registration request from the network element to re-join the group of network elements; and re-registering the network element using the encrypted token.