Validation Proxy for Microservice Security and Code Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microservice architectures face security challenges due to exposure to inadvertent, improper, or unauthorized microservice accesses, leading to increased code complexity and processing costs from duplicating preconditional validation logic across services.
Innovation Solution
A proactive condition map comprising global and local precondition and postcondition validation policies is used, with a validation proxy on a host node to validate microservice calls, redirecting calls as necessary to ensure correct order and authorization, thereby consolidating conditional verification logic and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preconditional validation logic is duplicated across multiple microservices to ensure security, then security is improved, but code complexity and processing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a validation proxy as an intermediary component that centralizes preconditional validation logic. Instead of duplicating validation code across multiple microservices, the proxy acts as a mediator that handles all validation requests, returning validation results to the calling services. This eliminates code duplication while maintaining security, directly resolving the technical contradiction between improved security and reduced code complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If validation logic is distributed across each microservice to enable independent validation, then autonomy is improved, but processing costs and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The validation proxy is designed as a universal component that serves multiple microservices with a single validation logic implementation. It handles validation requests from different services, supports multiple validation policies, and provides consistent validation across the entire microservice architecture. This multi-functional approach maintains autonomy while reducing processing costs by eliminating redundant validation operations
Data Source
AI summary
Validating microservice calls is provided. It is determined whether a microservice call to a microservice hosted by a computer is valid based on a policy in a proactive condition map of a validation proxy that matches the microservice call. In response to determining that the microservice call is invalid based on the policy in the proactive condition map that matches the microservice call, the microservice call is blocked to the microservice. It is determined whether the microservice call needs to be redirected to another microservice based on the policy. In response to determining that the microservice call does need to be redirected to another microservice based on the policy, the microservice call is redirected to the other microservice with a callback to the microservice.