Endpoint load rebalancing controller

• US 9,160,763 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cohn, John M., Kursun, Eren, Mukherjee, Maharaj, Topol, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US14/060,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/755 with measures against power attack
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/827 using characteristics of target signal or of transmission as countermeasure against jamming H04K3/25, e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/002 Countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms network architectures or network communication protocols for protection against malicious traffic H04L63/1441
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A endpoint load rebalancing controller, method of controlling endpoint activity to suppress side channel variation and computer program product for controlling endpoint activity for suppressing side channel variation in information from utility company users, e.g., from power company endpoints. The load rebalancing controller monitors period to period endpoint service usage and predicts next period endpoint service usage. Whenever the controller maintains determines that the endpoint usage will exhibit a change that may be sufficient to convey activity information in side channel activity, the controller rebalances activity for the next period. Rebalancing may include shifting off-line execution from one period to another and capping or increasing on-line execution activity.

Claims

1. A load rebalancing controller comprising:

means for monitoring service usage at an endpoint;

means for projecting endpoint service usage for a next monitoring period;

means for marking projected activity for shielding responsive projected usage indicating an activity change;

means for modifying activity comprising electromagnetic and thermal activity from power consumption for said endpoint in said next monitoring period and allocating voltage and frequency resources to rebalance the service usage to shield marked activity reflected in electromagnetic and thermal activity profiles; and

means for notifying a service provider of monitored service usage.

2. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, further comprising means for comparing projected service usage against current monitored service usage, wherein means for marking marks activity for shielding responsive to a comparison indicating a projected usage difference in excess of a selected threshold.

3. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, further comprising means for comparing projected service usage against current monitored service usage, wherein means for marking marks activity for shielding responsive to a comparison indicating projected usage difference being outside of selected usage limits.

4. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, wherein service usage comprises resources for on-line and off-line endpoint activity during a monitoring period, and said means for modifying comprises:

means for selectively delaying off-line endpoint activity beyond said next monitoring period; and

means for selectively capping on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

5. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, wherein service usage comprises resources for on-line and off-line endpoint activity during a monitoring period, and said means for modifying comprises:

means for selectively advancing off-line endpoint activity to said next monitoring period from a subsequent monitoring period; and

means for selectively increasing on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

6. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, further comprising means for comparing projected usage for each endpoint unit against current endpoint unit usage and comparing total projected endpoint usage against current endpoint usage, said means for marking projected activity for shielding marking responsive to said means for comparing indicating individual unit activity changes or total activity changes.

7. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 1, wherein said service provider is a utility provider and said means for notifying said utility provider comprises a smart meter, said a smart meter monitoring endpoint utility consumption and communicating utility consumption to said utility provider.

8. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 6, wherein said means for monitoring endpoint service usage aggregates individual endpoint unit usage, said means for marking marks aggregated projected activity, and said means for modifying activity modifies marked aggregated activity.

9. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 7, wherein said utility provider is a power company, said a smart meter monitoring power consumption at said endpoint and said load rebalancing controller alters endpoint activity to rebalance endpoint power consumption, such that marked endpoint activity reflected in power consumption is shielded from side channel attacks.

10. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 7, wherein said utility provider is a power company, said a smart meter monitoring power consumption at said endpoint and said load rebalancing controller alters endpoint activity to rebalance endpoint electromagnetic and thermal activity from power consumption, such that marked endpoint activity reflected in electromagnetic and thermal activity profiles is shielded from side channel attacks.

11. A computer program product for protecting utility usage information from utility company users, said computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code means for monitoring service usage at an endpoint;

computer readable program code means for projecting endpoint service usage for a next monitoring period;

computer readable program code means for marking projected activity for shielding responsive projected usage indicating an activity change;

computer readable program code means for modifying activity comprising electromagnetic and thermal activity from power consumption for said endpoint in said next monitoring period and allocating voltage and frequency resources to rebalance the service usage to shield marked activity reflected in electromagnetic and thermal activity profiles; and

computer readable program code means for notifying a service provider of monitored service usage.

12. A computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for selectively delaying off-line endpoint activity beyond said next monitoring period;

computer readable program code means for selectively capping on-line activity during said next monitoring period;

computer readable program code means for selectively advancing off-line endpoint activity to said next monitoring period from a subsequent monitoring period; and

computer readable program code means for selectively increasing on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

13. A computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for comparing projected usage for each endpoint unit against current endpoint unit usage;

computer readable program code means for comparing total projected endpoint usage against current endpoint usage; and

computer readable program code means for comparing indicating individual unit activity changes or total activity changes, projected activity for shielding being marked responsive to said computer readable program code for comparing.

14. A computer program product as in claim 13, wherein monitoring endpoint service usage includes aggregating individual endpoint unit usage, marking marks aggregated projected activity, and modifying activity modifies marked aggregated activity.

15. A load rebalancing controller comprising:

means for monitoring utility usage at an endpoint;

means for projecting endpoint utility usage and side channel activity from said utility usage for a next monitoring period, wherein changes in side channel activity indicate changes in endpoint activity;

means for marking projected side channel activity for shielding responsive projected side channel activity beyond a selected level indicating an endpoint activity level change, wherein said selected level is a change in projected side channel activity being in excess of a selected threshold, or projected side channel activity being outside of selected usage limits;

means for modifying activity comprising electromagnetic and thermal activity from power consumption for said endpoint in said next monitoring period, said indicated activity level change being shielded in side channel activity projected for said modified activity by allocating voltage and frequency resources to rebalance said activity level change; and

means for notifying a utility provider of monitored utility usage.

16. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 15, wherein

said means for monitoring endpoint utility usage monitors individual endpoint unit utility usage and aggregating individual endpoint unit usage;

said means for marking selectively marks projected side channel activity for individual endpoint units and marks aggregated projected side channel activity; and

said means for modifying activity modifies

individual unit activity for any said individual unit with marked side channel activity, and

marked aggregated activity.

17. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 15, wherein utility usage comprises resources for on-line and off-line endpoint activity during a monitoring period, and said means for modifying comprises:

means for selectively delaying off-line endpoint activity beyond said next monitoring period;

means for selectively advancing off-line endpoint activity to said next monitoring period from a subsequent monitoring period;

means for selectively increasing on-line activity during said next monitoring period; and

means for selectively capping on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

18. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 17, wherein said utility provider is a power company and said means for notifying said power company comprises a smart meter monitoring power consumption at said endpoint, and said side channel activity is endpoint power consumption.

19. A load rebalancing controller as in claim 17, wherein said utility provider is a power company and said means for notifying said power company comprises a smart meter monitoring power consumption at said endpoint, and said side channel activity is endpoint electromagnetic and thermal activity.