# US 2013/0160136 A1 · Data security in a multi-nodal environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0160136 A1 - Document ID: US20130160136A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/771,446 - Filed: 2013-02-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-07 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Michael J. Branson; John M. Santosuosso - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130160136A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/52: during program execution, e.g. stack integrity {; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A data security manager in a multi-nodal environment enforces processing constraints stored as security relationships that control how different pieces of a multi-nodal application (called execution units) are allowed to execute to insure data security. The security manager preferably checks the security relationships for security violations when new execution units start execution, when data moves to or from an execution unit, and when an execution unit requests external services. Where the security manager determines there is a security violation based on the security relationships, the security manager may move, delay or kill an execution unit to maintain data security. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a computer system comprising a plurality of compute nodes, each with a processor and a memory coupled to the processor; a plurality of running execution units in the memory of the compute nodes and executed by the processors of the compute nodes; a security manager that enforces security of data on the plurality of execution units of the computer system by managing the execution of an execution unit of the plurality of execution units depending on relationship records; and wherein the relationship records include a time relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute within a given time period with another execution unit of the plurality of execution units. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the time period is zero such that the time relationship indicates that the execution unit cannot run concurrently with the another execution unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relationship records includes a data relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute depending on data currently in use in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the relationship records include a services relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute depending on a service request in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the security manager determines there is a security violation to run the execution unit according to the relationship records and chooses an action from the following: moving the execution unit to another node, delaying the execution unit or killing the execution unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of compute nodes is a portion of a multi-nodal computer system chosen from the following: a combination of nodes, trunks, logical and physical machine breakdowns of nodes, locational breakdowns of nodes and IP breakdowns of nodes. ### Claim 7 An apparatus comprising: a computer system comprising a plurality of compute nodes, each with a processor and a memory coupled to the processor; a plurality of running execution units in the memory of the compute nodes and executed by the processors of the compute nodes; a relationship record for each of the plurality of running execution units, where each relationship record includes a time relationship, a data relationship and a service relationship, wherein the time relationship indicates whether a first execution unit can execute within a given time period with at least one of the plurality of executing execution units; and a security manager that enforces security of data on the computer system by managing the execution of the first execution unit and the plurality of executing execution units depending on the relationship records. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the time period is zero such that the time relationship indicates that the execution unit cannot run concurrently with the another execution unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the data relationship indicates whether the first execution unit can execute depending on data currently in use in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 and wherein services relationship indicates whether the execution unit can execute depending on a service request in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the security manager determines there is a security violation to run the execution unit according to the relationship records and chooses an action from the following: moving the execution unit to another node, delaying the execution unit or killing the execution unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of compute nodes is a portion of a multi-nodal computer system chosen from the following: a combination of nodes, trunks, logical and physical machine breakdowns of nodes, locational breakdowns of nodes and IP breakdowns of nodes. ### Claim 13 An article of manufacture comprising software stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the software comprising: a security manager that enforces security of data on a plurality of execution units of a multi-nodal computer system by managing the execution of an execution unit of the plurality of execution units depending on a relationship record associated with the execution unit; and wherein the relationship record includes a time relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute within a given time period with another execution unit of the plurality of execution units. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the time period is zero such that the time relationship indicates that the execution unit cannot run concurrently with the another execution unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the relationship record includes a data relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute depending on data currently in use in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13 and wherein the relationship record includes a services relationship to indicate whether the execution unit can execute depending on a service request in at least one of the plurality of running execution units. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the security manager determines there is a security violation to run the execution unit according to the relationship record and chooses an action from the following: moving the execution unit to another node, delaying the execution unit or killing the execution unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the plurality of compute nodes is a portion of a multi-nodal computer system chosen from the following: a combination of nodes, trunks, logical and physical machine breakdowns of nodes, locational breakdowns of nodes and IP breakdowns of nodes.