US 9,542,177 B1Granted

Peer configuration analysis and enforcement

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJesper M. Johansson, Charles Craig Gehre

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Abstract

The states or configurations of peer hosts within a host class may be analyzed and enforced by comparing records of the respective systems' states or configurations to one another and taking steps to address any inconsistencies between the records. In such a manner, the respective systems within the host class may identify, analyze and/or correct any changes in states or configurations of any of the systems, which may have been caused by a malfunction or security breach. The configurations may include one or more of a set of data, a version of a software application, a level of permission, a particular operational setting or any other element of operation. The hosts may be defined as peers based on a common location or a common function of each of the systems, or on any other basis, and the records may include any relevant data relating to the states or configurations of each of the systems.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for maintaining a class of systems in a preferred configuration comprising:

defining the class of systems using at least one computer processor;
designating at least one of the systems in the class of systems as a configuration standard, either singly or jointly, using the at least one computer processor, wherein the at least one of the class of systems has the preferred configuration;
generating, in response to the designating the at least one of the systems in the class of systems as the configuration standard, a statement of a configuration of the configuration standard using the at least one computer processor, wherein the statement of the configuration of the configuration standard comprises an indicator of a set of data residing on the configuration standard and an indicator of a version of at least one software application operating on the configuration standard;
receiving, from a first one of the class of systems over a network, a statement of a configuration of the first one of the class of systems, wherein the statement of the configuration of the first one of the class of systems comprises an indicator of a set of data residing on the first one of the class of systems and an indicator of a version of at least one software application operating on the first one of the class of systems, and wherein the first one of the class of systems is not the configuration standard;
comparing the statement of the configuration of the configuration standard to the statement of the configuration of the first one of the class of systems using the at least one computer processor;
determining that the statement of the configuration of the configuration standard is not equivalent to the statement of the configuration of the first one of the class of systems;
and
transmitting a data package comprising a configuration change to at least one of the configuration standard or the first one of the class of systems.

5 more elements

A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining a host class using at least one computer processor, wherein the host class comprises a plurality of hosts;
designating a first host in the host class as a configuration standard using the at least one computer processor;
generating, at the first host, a metadata description of a configuration of at least the first host using at the least one computer processor;
transmitting, from the first host to a second host, a request for a metadata description of a configuration of the second host over a network, wherein the second host is a peer of the first host;
receiving, at the first host, the metadata description of the configuration of the second host;
comparing, at the first host, the metadata description of the configuration of at least the first host to the metadata description of the configuration of the second host using the at least one computer processor;
determining that the metadata description of the configuration of at least the first host is inequivalent to the metadata description of the configuration of the second host;
and
transmitting a data package comprising a change to at least one of the configuration of at least the first host or the configuration of the second host.

6 more elements

A networked computer system comprising a fleet of hosts,

wherein each of the hosts in the fleet is a peer to at least one other host in the fleet, and
wherein at least one of the hosts is adapted to execute a computer program causing the networked computer system to at least:
select one of the hosts in the fleet as a standard host using at least one computer processor;
define a first group of the hosts in the fleet, using the at least one computer processor, wherein the first group comprises at least two of the hosts in the fleet, other than the standard host;
define a second group of the hosts in the fleet, using the at least one computer processor, wherein the second group of comprises at least two of the hosts in the fleet, other than the standard host;
generate a record of a configuration of the standard host, using the at least one computer processor;
request a record of a configuration of a first one of the hosts in the first group, wherein the first one of the hosts in the first group is a peer of the standard host;
request a record of a configuration of a first one of the hosts in the second group, wherein the first one of the hosts in the second group is a peer of the standard host;
compare the record of the configuration of the standard host to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the first group;
if the record of the configuration of the standard host is equivalent to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the first group,
record an equivalency between the configuration of the standard host and the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the first group in a data store;
if the record of the configuration of the standard host is inequivalent to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the first group,
record an inequivalence between the configuration of the standard host and the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the first group in the data store;
compare the record of the configuration of the standard host to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the second group;
if the record of the configuration of the standard host is equivalent to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the second group,
record an equivalency between the configuration of the standard host and the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the second group in the data store;
and
if the record of the configuration of the standard host is inequivalent to the record of the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the second group,
record an inequivalence between the configuration of the standard host and the configuration of the first one of the hosts in the second group in the data store.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.