Method and apparatus for escrowing properties used for accessing executable modules

• US 6,701,433 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1999
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Jueneman, Robert R., Kingdon, Kevin W., Schell, Roger R., Berson, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI CHUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/274,696
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 380/277, 380/286, 713/171, 713/189, 713/164
• US Class Current: 713/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide a controlled, dynamically loaded, modular, cryptographic implementation for integration of flexible policy implementations on policy engines, and the like, into a base executable having at least one slot. The base executable may rely on an integrated loader to control loading and linking of fillers and submodules. A policy module may be included for use in limiting each module'"'"'s function, access, and potential for modification or substitution. The policy may be implemented organically within a manager layer or may be modularized further in an underlying engine layer as an independent policy, or as a policy created by a policy engine existing in an engine layer. The policy module is subordinate to the manager module in the manager layer in that the manager module calls the policy module when it is needed by the manager module. The policy module is preferably dynamically linkable, providing flexibility, and is layered deeper within the filler module than the manager module.

Claims

1. An apparatus implemented in a digital computer having a processor and memory for executing applications, the apparatus, a plurality of executable modules, and the apparatus used to verify and load the modules, the apparatus comprising:

a base executable loadable into the computer to perform a base function, the base executable module being provided with at least one slot adapted to receive a filler module;

a first filler module containing a first unique property recognizable by the base executable, and alterable exclusively by an authorized entity;

a second filler module containing a second unique property recognizable by the base executable and alterable exclusively by an authorized entity;

the base executable being programmed to verify the presence of the first and second unique properties within the first and second filler modules, respectively, and to dynamically load the first and second filler modules into the at least one slot only upon verification of the presence of the first and second unique properties;

a manager module included within the first filler module for enforcing policies propagated by the authorized entity; and

a policy module included within the second filler module, wherein the second filler module contains the policies to be enforced by the manager module, and wherein the policy module includes a cryptographic policy.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a loader module integral to the base executable, programmed to verify the presence of the unique property, and to dynamically load the filler module only if the unique property verifies correctly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of additional filler modules loadable by the loader module into the at least one slot.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the loader module is effective to provide linking between the first and second filler modules and the plurality of additional modules in a layered hierarchy containing levels, and in which a linking of one module of the first and second filler modules and the plurality of additional modules at a first level to a second module of the first and second filler modules and the plurality of additional modules at a second level defines an allowability of an invocation of the second module by the first module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an engine filler module dynamically loadable into the at least one slot and linkable with the manager module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the engine filler module is a cryptographic engine programmed to execute a cryptographic algorithm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy module contains an escrow policy.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second unique properties comprise cryptographic keys.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy module contains a cryptographic services usage policy.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy module contains a cryptographic key usage policy.

11. An article, implemented in a computer readable medium, comprising a memory device having blocks for storing executables and data, the article including a first block storing a plurality of executable modules executable by a processor, the first block comprising:

a base module loadable to be executed by the processor to perform a base function, the base module being provided with at least one slot adapted to receive a first filler module;

the first filler module executable by a processor and containing a first unique property recognizable by a loader, the unique property being alterable exclusively by an authorized entity;

a second filler module containing a second unique property recognizable by the base executable, and alterable exclusively by an authorized entity;

a loader module integral to the base module and programmed to verify the presence of the first and second unique properties in the first and second filler module, respectively and to dynamically load the each of the first and second filler modules only upon verification of verification of the first and second unique properties in the first and second filler modules, respectively;

a manager module included within the first filler module for enforcing policies propagated by the authorized entity; and

a policy module included within the authorized entity, wherein the policy module contains the policies to be enforced by the manager module, and wherein the policies include at least one cryptographic policy.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the first and second unique properties comprise cryptographic keys.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the policy module contains a cryptographic services usage policy.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the policy module contains a cryptographic key usage policy.

15. The article of claim 11, further comprising an engine filler module.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the engine filler module is a cryptographic engine programmed to execute a cryptographic algorithm.

17. The article of claim 11, wherein the policy module contains an escrow policy.

18. A method for flexibly integrating policies into a software module, the method implemented in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor of a computer, the method comprising:

providing a base module executable by the processor, the base module having at least one slot for receiving filler modules and having a loader programmed to operate within the base executable to control loading of the filler modules into the at least one slot;

providing a manager filler module containing a unique property recognizable by the first loader and alterable exclusively by an authorized entity;

providing a policy filler module containing a second unique property recognizable by the first loader and alterable exclusively by an authorized entity, the policy filler module containing policies enforceable by the manager filler module, wherein at least one of the policies is a cryptographic policy;

verifying by the loader the presence of the first unique property in the manager filler module;

loading dynamically the manager filler module only after the loader verifies the presence of the first unique property successfully;

verifying by the loader the presence of the second unique property in the policy filler module; and

loading dynamically the policy filler module only after the loader verifies the second unique property successfully.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a cryptographic engine filler module dynamically loadable into the at least one slot and linkable with the manager filler module.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first unique property is a digital signature and the second unique property is another digital signature.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

linking the policy filler module to the manager filler module by a loader to enable invocation of the policy module by the manager filler module.