Web Application Wrapper for Context Integrity in Cloud Proxies

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud computing environments face challenges in maintaining security and context integrity when accessing web applications through proxy servers, particularly in multitenant architectures, where context-loss issues arise due to direct proxy solutions that lack cooperation from target web applications.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a web address wrapper system using a reverse proxy server that converts web addresses into proxy addresses with a suffix domain, wrapping them in a wrapper domain within an inline frame, allowing users to navigate web applications while maintaining security and context through a security service's domain, thereby addressing context-loss issues and enhancing trust.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a direct proxy solution is used to access web applications, then security policies can be enforced, but context-loss issues arise due to lack of cooperation from target web applications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity enforcementVSAvoidcontext integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a wrapper domain as an intermediary layer between the proxy server and the web application. This wrapper domain cooperates with the proxy server to maintain context information that would otherwise be lost in direct proxy solutions. The wrapper domain acts as a mediator that preserves navigation context and application state while still allowing security policies to be enforced by the proxy server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a proxy server is used to enforce security policies, then security can be improved, but context-loss issues occur because target web applications do not cooperate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidnavigation context
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the domain name into multiple components, introducing a wrapper domain suffix (e.g., .wrapper.com) that separates the security enforcement function from the application function. This segmentation allows the proxy server to enforce security on the wrapper domain while the inner application domain maintains its own context and operation independently, avoiding context-loss issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If web addresses are directly accessed, then navigation is simple, but security and context integrity cannot be maintained in multitenant architectures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation simplicityVSAvoidcontext integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested domain structure where the wrapper domain contains or wraps the original application domain (e.g., application.wrapper.com). This nesting allows the outer wrapper domain to provide security and context management services while the inner application domain maintains its original navigation simplicity and functionality, effectively combining both requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3967023B1Web application wrapper
Publication Date: 2023.04.26 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3967023B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3967023B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3967023B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A proxy server to retrieve a web address received from a client to a Webserver is disclosed. The proxy server can include a reverse proxy server. The web address is converted into proxy address at the proxy server. The proxy address is wrapped into a wrapper domain with a wrapping frame.