Systems and methods for utilizing uni-directional inter-host communication in an air gap environment

• US 10,051,005 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Fry, Benjamin, Kral, Timothy, Chen, Simon, Falko, Andrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US15/087,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20160285917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A request message is generated with a trusted network entity executing trusted code on a first network layer. The request message to target a non-trusted network entity executing non-trusted code on a second network layer. The request message is transmitted from the trusted network entity to the non-trusted network entity through at least a policy enforcement entity. The policy enforcement entity applies one or more network traffic rules to enforce a unidirectional flow of traffic from the first network layer to the second network layer. A response check message is generated with the trusted network entity. The response check message to determine whether response information is available on the non-trusted network entity in response to the request message. The response check message is transmitted from the trusted network entity to the non-trusted network entity through at least the policy enforcement entity. The response check message to determine whether the response information is stored in a conceptual mailbox on the non-trusted network entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining a virtual mailbox on a non-trusted network entity executing non-trusted code, on a first network layer, wherein the virtual mailbox is configurable to store messages to be passed between the first network layer and a second network layer, wherein network entities on the second network layer execute only trusted code;

receiving a request message at the virtual mailbox from a trusted network entity on the second network layer to a non-trusted network entity on the first network layer through a flow of traffic from the second network layer to the first network layer that involves only connections initialized from the first network layer to the second network layer, wherein messages to be downloaded by the trusted network entity are through a connection initialized by a component of the second network layer;

performing one or more operations in the first network layer in response to the request message;

generating results in the first network layer in response to the request message;

storing the results in the virtual mailbox;

receiving, from authorized trusted code executed on the second network layer, a response check message from the management network entity, the response check message to determine whether the results are available in the virtual mailbox in response to the request message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the trusted network entity comprises a management server.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the non-trusted network entity comprises a compute layer server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual private network (VPN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VPN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VPN and the second VPN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual local area network (VLAN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VLAN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VLAN and the second VLAN.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the trusted network entity is a management server within an on demand services environment and the non-trusted network entity is a content server within the on demand services environment.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the on demand services environment comprises a multi-tenant database environment.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, is configurable to cause the one or more processors to:

maintain a virtual mailbox on a non-trusted network entity executing non-trusted code, on a first network layer, wherein the virtual mailbox is configurable to store messages to be passed between the first network layer and a second network layer, wherein network entities on the second network layer execute only trusted code;

receive a request message at the virtual mailbox from a trusted network entity on the second network layer to a non-trusted network entity on the first network layer through a flow of traffic from the second network layer to the first network layer that involves only connections initialized from the first network layer to the second network layer, wherein messages to be downloaded by the trusted network entity are through a connection initialized by a component of the second network layer;

perform one or more operations in the first network layer in response to the request message;

generate results in the first network layer in response to the request message;

store the results in the virtual mailbox;

receive, from authorized trusted code executed on the second network layer, a response check message from the management network entity, the response check message to determine whether the results are available in the virtual mailbox in response to the request message.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the trusted network entity comprises a management server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the non-trusted network entity comprises a compute layer server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual private network (VPN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VPN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VPN and the second VPN.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual local area network (VLAN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VLAN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VLAN and the second VLAN.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the trusted network entity is a management server within an on demand services environment and the non-trusted network entity is a content server within the on demand services environment.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the on demand services environment comprises a multi-tenant database environment.

15. A system comprising:

at least one memory system having hardware memory devices;

one or more hardware processors coupled with the at least one memory system, the one or more processors to execute instructions stored within the system to maintain a virtual mailbox on a non-trusted network entity executing non-trusted code, on a first network layer, wherein the virtual mailbox is configurable to store messages to be passed between the first network layer and a second network layer, wherein network entities on the second network layer execute only trusted code, to receive a request message at the virtual mailbox from a trusted network entity on the second network layer to a non-trusted network entity on the first network layer through a flow of traffic from the second network layer to the first network layer that involves only connections initialized from the first network layer to the second network layer, wherein messages to be downloaded by the trusted network entity are through a connection initialized by a component of the second network layer, to perform one or more operations in the first network layer in response to the request message, to generate results in the first network layer in response to the request message, to store the results in the virtual mailbox, to receive, from authorized trusted code executed on the second network layer, a response check message from the management network entity, the response check message to determine whether the results are available in the virtual mailbox in response to the request message.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the trusted network entity comprises a management server.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the non-trusted network entity comprises a compute layer server.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual private network (VPN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VPN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VPN and the second VPN.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the trusted network entity is part of a first virtual local area network (VLAN), the non-trusted network entity is part of a second VLAN, and the firewall is configured to communicate with both the first VLAN and the second VLAN.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the trusted network entity is a management server within an on demand services environment and the non-trusted network entity is a content server within the on demand services environment.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the on demand services environment comprises a multi-tenant database environment.