Decentralized sparse capability system with secure enclaves
AssigneeVMware, Inc.
InventorsGerd ZELLWEGER, Stanko NOVAKOVIC
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides an approach for granting access to a resource located on a first server, the granting being done by a second server to a third server. The method results in a decentralized granting of access to a resource, preventing a bottleneck in the first server that could develop if the first server were to grant each access to each of its resources. The access is provided in the form of an encrypted capability, and transmitted through a secure channel. The code on the second server for granting access is located within an encrypted memory region, such that unauthorized processes cannot access the code or the data within the encrypted memory region.
Claims20
A method of granting a first attenuated capability, the method comprising:
- providing, by a first server to a second server, a first capability to a resource located on the first server;
- creating the first attenuated capability by an agent of the first server executing within a secure enclave of a memory of the second server, wherein the first attenuated capability is an attenuated version of the first capability;
- transmitting, by the second server to a third server, the first attenuated capability to the resource;
- and
- transmitting, by the third server to the first server, the first attenuated capability so as to access the resource by the third server.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions to be executed in a processor of a computer system, the instructions when executed in the processor cause the computer system to carry out a method of granting a first attenuated capability, the method comprising:
- providing, by a first server to a second server, a first capability to a resource located on the first server;
- creating the first attenuated capability by an agent of the first server executing within a secure enclave of a memory of the second server, wherein the first attenuated capability is an attenuated version of the first capability;
- transmitting, by the second server to a third server, the first attenuated capability to the resource;
- and
- transmitting, by the third server to the first server, the first attenuated capability so as to access the resource by the third server.
A computer system comprising:
- a first server;
- a second server;
- a resource located on the first server;
- a memory of the second server;
- and
- a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to carry out a method of granting a first attenuated capability, the method comprising:
- providing, by the first server to the second server, a first capability to the resource located on the first server;
- creating the first attenuated capability by an agent of the first server executing within a secure enclave of the memory of the second server, wherein the first attenuated capability is an attenuated version of the first capability;
- transmitting, by the second server to a third server, the first attenuated capability to the resource;
- and
- transmitting, by the third server to the first server, the first attenuated capability so as to access the resource by the third server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.