Workflow Security Model for Composite Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current enterprise mashup tools lack the ability to securely integrate different services with diverse authentication and authorization requirements, often resorting to security-free services or hard-coding authentication data, which is problematic in enterprise environments where custom security protocols and multiple credentials are necessary.
Innovation Solution
A security model that uses a workflow language to declare security requirements for composite applications, incorporating an authentication service on a secure server to conduct user authentication and authorization across external network resources, supporting various authentication protocols like OAuth, HTTP Basic Authentication, and custom application keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If enterprise mashup tools integrate services with diverse security requirements, then security coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a security service as an intermediary component that mediates between composite applications and external network resources. This security service handles authentication and authorization requests, managing diverse security protocols and credentials centrally. By positioning this intermediary layer, the system achieves comprehensive security coverage without requiring each mashup tool to independently handle complex security configurations, thus resolving the contradiction between improved security coverage and reduced system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If authentication data is hard-coded in mashup code, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts authentication data and security credentials from the mashup code itself and relocates them to an external security service. Instead of hard-coding credentials in the application, the system externalizes these sensitive elements to a dedicated security component. This extraction maintains operational simplicity for developers while significantly improving security reliability, as credentials are managed securely in a specialized service rather than being embedded in application code.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple credentials are managed for different external resources, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal security service that handles multiple authentication protocols and credential types through a single unified interface. This multi-functional security component can manage OAuth tokens, API keys, certificates, and other credential formats without requiring separate management systems for each protocol. By consolidating diverse credential management capabilities into one universal service, the system achieves high adaptability while avoiding the complexity that would arise from implementing separate management mechanisms for each protocol.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and computer program product for security model for workflows aggregating third party secure services. In one embodiment, a workflow model described in a workflow language is provided and configured to declare security requirements of a composite application integrating protected data from two or more external network resources. The method also incorporates providing an authentication service executing on at least one secure server computer. The authentication service is configured to conduct user authentication and authorization to access the protected data at the external network resources on behalf of the composite application executing on at least one host server computer according to the workflow language.