Unified User Identification System with Automatic Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security authentication systems in networked computer environments face challenges in providing unified user identification across multiple namespaces, requiring labor-intensive database population and being vulnerable to security risks due to reliance on external databases, especially when accessing different platforms.
Innovation Solution
A computer-performed method that uses canonical identifiers from a single namespace for authentication, automatically generating identifiers when necessary and storing them in an internal database for subsequent use, while periodically polling an external database to resolve conflicts and ensure consistent mappings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an external database is used to map identifiers across namespaces, then unified identification is achieved, but security vulnerabilities increase due to continuous exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a local database as an intermediary between the external database and the authentication system. This local database caches identifier mappings, reducing direct exposure to the external database while maintaining unified identification capability across multiple namespaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-populating the local database with identifier mappings before actual authentication occurs. This allows the system to operate independently of continuous external database queries, reducing security exposure while maintaining unified identification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an external database is used for identifier mapping, then cross-platform access is enabled, but the system becomes complex and difficult to query from different platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The local database serves as a platform-independent intermediary that translates between different namespace formats. It provides a simplified interface for querying identifier mappings without requiring platform-specific database access methods, reducing interface complexity while enabling cross-platform access.
3Reliability
If the external mapping database is fully populated before use, then complete identifier mappings are available, but the process becomes labor-intensive with high barrier to entry
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary population of the local database with essential identifier mappings before operation. This allows the system to function with a subset of mappings initially, reducing the barrier to entry while maintaining reliability for common access patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system performs self-service by automatically querying and populating the local database with identifier mappings as needed. This eliminates manual database population efforts while maintaining complete identifier mapping availability through automated processes.
4Adaptability or versatility
If automatic identifier generation is implemented, then system adaptability improves, but conflicts with external database mappings may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by periodically querying the external database for updates to identifier mappings. When automatic identifier generation creates potential conflicts, the system receives feedback from the external database and adjusts mappings accordingly, resolving conflicts while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary checks against the external database before generating new identifiers to ensure no conflicts exist. This preliminary action prevents mapping conflicts while maintaining the ability to automatically generate identifiers for new entities.
Data Source
AI summary
An identification system that may be used in heterogeneous computing environments provides a fail-free path to providing identifiers from a single canonical namespace. Objects or gateways requiring an identifier for access are accessed using an identifier for the canonical namespace. If an entity requests access using an identifier from another namespace, an external database is consulted to determine if a mapping exists for the identifier to another identifier the canonical namespace. If no mapping exists, or the external database is unavailable, then an identifier is automatically generated in the canonical namespace and is used for the access. An internal database is updated with the automatically generated identifier, providing a mechanism to add mappings without administrative intervention. To access resources requiring an identifier from another particular namespace, a canonical namespace identifier may be mapped to another identifier in the particular namespace, or a generic identifier may be used.