Transient Random Key for Multi-Tenant Database Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cloud-based, multi-tenant database systems, intermediate data that belongs to multiple tenants poses a challenge for encryption, as it cannot be encrypted using a single customer's or vendor-provided key, and existing solutions require application redesign or re-implementation to handle group-level encryption efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a random encryption key is generated during database startup, stored in transient memory, and used for encrypting intermediate data associated with multiple encryption groups, which is then wiped upon shutdown, ensuring secure and efficient handling of intermediate data without requiring application redesign.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If data-volume-level encryption is used to protect persisted data, then physical security is improved, but multi-tenant data privacy is compromised because multiple customers share the same encryption key
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single data-volume-level encryption into multiple encryption layers: (1) persisted data is encrypted at data-volume level with a vendor-managed key for physical security, and (2) customer-specific data within each volume is encrypted at the column or row level with customer-controlled encryption keys. This segmentation allows both physical security and multi-tenant privacy to coexist by operating at different encryption levels.
2Reliability
If group-level encryption is implemented for multi-tenant privacy, then data privacy is improved, but handling intermediate data from multiple tenants becomes complex requiring application redesign
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary encryption layer for intermediate data that combines multiple customer encryption keys. When intermediate data involves multiple tenants, the system creates a composite encryption approach where the intermediate data is encrypted in a way that allows the database engine to handle it without requiring application redesign, while still maintaining the security requirements of group-level encryption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic encryption key selection based on the data type and ownership. For intermediate data, the encryption approach dynamically adapts based on whether the data belongs to a single tenant or multiple tenants, allowing the system to automatically select the appropriate encryption strategy without requiring application logic changes.
3Ease of operation
If customer-controlled encryption keys are used for group-level encryption, then data privacy control is improved, but handling shared intermediate data becomes difficult as neither customer key nor vendor key should be used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal encryption framework that can handle multiple data types and ownership scenarios with a single approach. The intermediate data encryption mechanism is designed to work with both customer-controlled keys and vendor-managed keys, and can automatically adapt to the appropriate key type based on the data characteristics, providing both customer control and operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer-readable media, methods, and systems are disclosed for handling intermediate data in connection with a database employing group-level encryption. Intermediate data is used during database operation and stored transiently such that the intermediate data is removed from memory upon database restart. To protect the privacy of the intermediate data, a random encryption key may be generated upon startup of a database instance. The random encryption key may be stored transiently. During database operation, the random encryption key may be used to encrypt and/or decrypt the intermediate data. The transient memory may be wiped upon database shut down such that the random encryption key is no longer accessible upon database restart.