Wrapping Distributed Ruby Requests in HTTPS for Secure Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Client-server communication using the Distributed Ruby (DRb) protocol often fails to meet security requirements due to the lack of encryption and authentication, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and tampering.
Innovation Solution
The method involves wrapping DRb requests into Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) requests, where authentication information is stored in the header and the DRb request is either stored in the body or header of the HTTPS request, ensuring secure communication by using SSL/TLS encryption, and verifying authentication information before executing the DRb request.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If DRb protocol is used for client-server communication, then ease of connecting Ruby programs over network is improved, but security requirements are not met due to lack of encryption and authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces HTTPS as an intermediary layer between the DRb protocol and the network. The DRb requests are wrapped into HTTPS requests, which then traverse the network securely. This intermediary layer provides encryption and authentication without modifying the underlying DRb protocol, thus maintaining ease of connection while enhancing security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the DRb request inside the HTTPS request structure. The DRb request contains the actual Ruby communication data, while the HTTPS request provides the secure transport layer. This nested structure allows the simple DRb protocol to benefit from HTTPS security without requiring changes to DRb itself.
2Device complexity
If DRb requests are sent without encryption, then communication simplicity is maintained, but vulnerability to eavesdropping and tampering increases
Solution Approach 1:
HTTPS acts as a mediator that introduces encryption without complicating the DRb protocol itself. The DRb client and server continue to use simple DRb calls, but the network transmission is secured by the HTTPS intermediary layer, protecting against eavesdropping and tampering without affecting communication simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication into two independent parts: the simple DRb protocol for application logic and the HTTPS protocol for security. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize for its specific function - DRb for ease of use and HTTPS for security - without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If authentication information is added to HTTPS requests, then user verification is improved, but request processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication information is included in the HTTPS request header before the DRb request is processed. By performing authentication preliminarily at the HTTPS layer, the system verifies user credentials before executing the actual DRb operation, thus improving security without adding complexity to the core DRb request processing logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The HTTPS layer with authentication headers serves as an intermediary that handles user verification separately from the DRb protocol. This allows authentication to be implemented without modifying DRb request processing, as the authentication occurs in the wrapping/unwrapping process of the HTTPS layer.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of systems and methods for providing a secure communication are described herein. A client application generates a Distributed Ruby (DRb) request based on a request received from a user. The obtained DRb request is wrapped to obtain an HTTPS request, which includes the DRb request and one or more authentication information. The generated HTTPS request is forwarded to an HTTPS server, which verifies the HTTPS request based on the authentication information. The HTTPS request is then unwrapped to obtain the DRb request, which is executed by a DRb server to obtain a result of execution of the DRb request.