Workflow-Aware Access Control Using Smart Contracts in Industrial Metaverse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access control mechanisms in metaverse environments lack flexibility and dynamism, failing to accommodate the complexities and fluidity of multi-party interactions, and are inadequate for fostering cross-company collaboration and technological progress.
Innovation Solution
A system implementing workflow-aware access control (WFAC) with a three-tiered architecture, utilizing smart contracts and blockchain technology for dynamic, context-sensitive policy management, enabling flexible and secure access control across platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If centralized server control is used for access control, then implementation is simple and straightforward, but flexibility and scalability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system is segmented into multiple independent components: policy definition modules, policy enforcement points at each user endpoint, and workflow management components. Each segment operates autonomously, allowing the system to maintain simplicity in implementation while gaining flexibility through modular policy deployment across distributed endpoints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic access control policies that can be modified and updated without system reconfiguration. Policy enforcement points dynamically adapt to changing workflow requirements and user roles, enabling the system to evolve with business needs while maintaining a straightforward implementation architecture.
2Ease of operation
If role-based access control (RBAC) is implemented, then access permissions are systematically assigned to roles, but the system remains rigid and simplistic
Solution Approach 1:
The system extends RBAC by introducing dynamic parameters that modify access decisions based on workflow context, user attributes, and resource characteristics. This allows the systematic permission assignment of RBAC to be enhanced with contextual flexibility, enabling adaptive access control without abandoning the structured role-based foundation.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary policy evaluation layer is introduced between the role-based permission system and the actual access decisions. This intermediary component evaluates additional contextual factors and workflow states, mediating between the rigid role definitions and the need for adaptive access control in complex multi-party workflows.
3Adaptability or versatility
If attribute-based access control (ABAC) is used, then flexibility and dynamism are improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of access control policies by pre-computing and caching policy decisions for common scenarios. Policy enforcement points prepare and store access decisions in advance, reducing the computational burden during actual access requests and enabling flexible ABAC-like control with reduced real-time complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial policy evaluation by assessing only the necessary attributes and conditions for each access request rather than evaluating all possible policy parameters. This selective evaluation approach maintains the flexibility of attribute-based control while significantly reducing computational complexity by focusing only on relevant policy aspects.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional access control systems are used, then implementation is straightforward, but they hinder effective policy definition and enforcement in multi-party environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal policy enforcement framework that handles multiple policy types, workflow scenarios, and multi-party collaboration patterns through a single integrated architecture. This universal approach enables effective policy definition and enforcement across diverse multi-party environments without requiring separate implementation approaches for different scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for providing workflow-aware access control to a metaverse platform. The system may comprise: one or more processors; and a memory, the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more of the processors, cause the one or more of the processors to implement: a client layer providing a user interface for defining and managing access control policies for one or more users; a cloud layer housing core on-chain and off-chain components for policy enforcement and dynamic updates; and a metaverse layer comprising connectors and services within the metaverse platform to ensure consistent application of access control policies across assets and interactions between the one or more users; wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more of the processors, further cause the one or more of the processors to: receive, from a consumer user, a request to access one or more assets of the metaverse platform hosted by a provider user; compile, by each of the consumer user and the provider user, a policy template, to obtain a first compiled template and a second compiled template; sign, by the consumer user, the first compiled template and signing, by the provider user, the second compiled template; deploy the first signed template and the second signed template as one or more smart contracts in the cloud layer; in response to the one or more smart contracts being executed, update one or more access control lists, ACLs, of a server hosting the one or more assets of the metaverse platform; and grant, to the consumer user, access to the server hosting the one or more assets of the metaverse platform.