Workflow Security Context with Up-Front Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing workflow systems face challenges in ensuring reliable execution due to interruptions caused by lack of authorizations, and they struggle to maintain valid and trustworthy credentials throughout long and indeterminate workflow executions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of up-front authorization and a security context bound to the workflow, which scopes actions and limits workflow operations, ensuring that only authorized actions are performed and maintaining valid credentials throughout the workflow execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authorization checks are performed during workflow execution, then workflow flexibility is maintained, but workflow reliability deteriorates due to interruptions from missing or expired authorizations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs authorization validation before workflow execution begins by checking if the requestor has the required authorizations to perform the workflow. This preliminary action ensures that authorizations are valid before the workflow starts, preventing interruptions during execution and improving reliability without requiring complex continuous validation mechanisms.
2Reliability
If authorization checks are performed continuously during workflow execution, then workflow security is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to execution interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system validates authorizations before workflow execution begins rather than continuously during execution. This preliminary validation ensures security while allowing the workflow to execute continuously without interruptions for authorization checks, thus maintaining both security and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides feedback about authorization status before workflow execution, allowing the system to make informed decisions about whether to proceed with the workflow. This feedback mechanism ensures security without requiring continuous checks during execution, maintaining execution continuity.
3Ease of operation
If manual recovery procedures are implemented for workflow failures, then system control is maintained, but loss of time increases due to recovery duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs authorization validation before workflow execution, which prevents workflow failures caused by insufficient or expired authorizations. By preventing failures upfront rather than responding to them after they occur, the system maintains control while eliminating the need for time-consuming manual recovery procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Up front authorization of a workflow and a security context for workflow execution are disclosed. All possible authorizations that may be required by a workflow are identified up front. A requestor is allowed to execute the workflow only when the authorizations of the user include the authorizations that may be required by the workflow. A security context is generated and associated with the workflow or an instance thereof. The security context scopes or limits the workflow to at least the type or capacity of work requested, work uniquely identified in the security context, and/or service/workflow/call paths that the request is allowed to be processed through.