The invention relates generally to multi-computer data transfer, and specifically to computer network monitoring to alert clients to changes in the security status of a resource used to execute a job for the client.
Grid computing is about sharing resources located in different places, based on different architectures, and belonging to different management domains. A grid can connect computing centers over multiple continents, enabling client computers to share resources and foster collaboration among the users. A grid provides clients with access to otherwise incompatible resources. The grid management software acts as an interpreter between the communication and security protocols of dissimilar computer systems on the grid.
Grid management software, such as Globus Toolkit®, comprise of a collection of programs and libraries for managing grid resources. The grid management software performs functions such as tracking information about users, projects and available resources, as well as managing security protocols used to establish secure communications between clients and the grid resources. Tracking functions include receiving status updates directly from grid resources and storing status information in logs.
A major functionality of a grid system is the capability to submit jobs to heterogeneous resources. These jobs are binary executables or commands submitted by clients to be run on a remote server. Clients submit jobs to the grid through a piece of grid management software called a scheduler. The scheduler assigns the job to a resource (or set of resources) on the grid. The grid management software uses the client's security credentials to access the chosen grid resource and execute the job. The grid resource authenticates the client's credentials and authorizes execution of the job. “Security delegation” is the term used to describe the grid management software's use of the client's security credentials to access a grid resource. Examples of security credentials include identity (such as user names or account numbers), passwords, certificates and may even include privacy or encryption requirements. Security delegation is required because the grid management software must translate the security credentials into a format compatible with the accessed resource. The security delegation lasts until the job is fully executed and the results are returned to the client.
Security concerns arise for jobs with long time durations. A security compromise on the resource running the job may violate the terms of the security delegation. There is no known method of enforcing the terms of a security delegation after a job begins to execute. A need exists for a system and method of alerting grid clients when a security compromise occurs on a resource executing a job.
The “Grid Security Monitor” disclosed is a method for tracking the security status of resources in a grid computer system. The Grid Security Monitor notifies clients using grid resources if the security conditions have changed. Clients may use this information to terminate jobs executing on the grid, or to select different resources to perform the same job. When a client submits a job to the grid scheduler, the Grid Security Monitor creates a security contract. The security contract comprises all the security credentials needed to access the resource executing the job, as well as privacy and security requirements. While the resource is executing the job, the resource sends periodic security notifications to the Grid Security Monitor. The Grid Security Monitor compares the security status of the resource to the requirements of the security contract. If the security status of the resource changes or violates the security contract, then the Grid Security Monitor notifies the client. The Grid Security Monitor stores all security notifications in a log accessible by the client. Also, all security notifications can be forwarded to the client, even if there are not changes to the security status of the resource. The Grid Security Monitor has a user interface that allows the client to perform a manual security validation by asking the grid management system to verify the security status of the resource.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be understood best by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The principles of the present invention are applicable to a variety of computer hardware and software configurations. The term “computer hardware” or “hardware,” as used herein, refers to any machine or apparatus that is capable of accepting, performing logic operations on, storing, or displaying data, and includes without limitation processors and memory; the term “computer software” or “software,” refers to any set of instructions operable to cause computer hardware to perform an operation. A “computer,” as that term is used herein, includes without limitation any useful combination of hardware and software, and a “computer program” or “program” includes without limitation any software operable to cause computer hardware to accept, perform logic operations on, store, or display data. A computer program may, and often is, comprised of a plurality of smaller programming units, including without limitation subroutines, modules, functions, methods, and procedures. Thus, the functions of the present invention may be distributed among a plurality of computers and computer programs. The invention is described best, though, as a single computer program that configures and enables one or more general-purpose computers to implement the novel aspects of the invention. For illustrative purposes, the inventive computer program will be referred to as the “Grid Security Monitor”
Additionally, the “Grid Security Monitor” described below with reference to an exemplary network of hardware devices, as depicted in
The Grid Security Monitor 200 typically is stored in a memory, represented schematically as memory 220 in
Memory 220 contains various files and programs associated with Grid Security Monitor 200. Grid Management System 230 comprises the software necessary to connect and manage communications between the heterogeneous computer systems that make up the grid. Scheduler 235 is a sub-program of Grid Management System 230. Scheduler 235 receives job requests from clients and assigns the job to a resource on the grid. Security Contract File 240 contains security credentials needed to access the resource executing the job, as well as the client's privacy and security requirements. Log File 250 contains a listing of security notifications generated by the resource while executing the job. Security Contract Component 300 creates Security Contract File 240 whenever a client submits a job to the grid. Monitoring Component 400 receives security notifications from the resource executing a job, saves the notifications to a log and enforces the security requirements of security contract 240 by notifying the client of any security status changes on the resource executing the job. Client Interface Component 500 allows clients to validate the current security condition of the resource executing a job and allows the client to review the status notification log.
A preferred form of the invention has been shown in the drawings and described above, but variations in the preferred form will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The preceding description is for illustration purposes only, and the invention should not be construed as limited to the specific form shown and described. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the language of the following claims.
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