Multi-tenant audit awareness in support of cloud environments

• US 9,460,169 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hinton, Heather M., Cohen, Richard Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US13/004,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

A cloud enablement aggregation proxy (CEAP) receives and processes audit data from audited resources before such data is stored in a database. The CEAP manages log data for resources hosted in a multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., a compute cloud). A method for managing log data begins by the proxy aggregating and normalizing log information received from a plurality of the resources. The aggregated and normalized log information is then parsed to identify a tenant associated with each of a set of transactions. For each of the set of transactions, the CEAP annotates log data associated with the tenant and the particular transaction to include a tenant-specific identifier. An optional tenant separation proxy (TSP) separates the annotated log data on a per tenant basis prior to storage, and the tenant-specific log data may be stored in per tenant data structures or dedicated tenant log event databases to facilitate subsequent compliance or other analysis.

Claims

1. A method of managing log data generated by resources hosted in a multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, comprising:

aggregating and normalizing log information received from a plurality of the resources hosted in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, at least one of the configurable computing resources being a multi-tenant unaware resource that is shared among at least first and second tenants, the multi-tenant unaware resource generating log information that does not include any information that, by itself, can serve to distinguish which of the first and second tenants use the multi-tenant unaware resource, the log information being normalized by mapping data within the log information into one or more name/value pairs;

receiving input data as tenants carry out transactions in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, the input data being other than the generated log information generated by the multi-tenant unaware resource;

parsing the input data and the aggregated and normalized log information to identify a tenant associated with each of a set of transactions, wherein parsing compares an event pattern in a transaction against a set of filters; and

for each of the set of transactions, and based on the parsing identifying a match between an event pattern in a transaction against a filter in the set of filters, annotating log data associated with the tenant and the particular transaction to include a tenant-specific identifier;

wherein at least one of the aggregating, parsing and annotating operations is carried out in program code executing in a hardware element.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further including storing the annotated log data for multiple tenants.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further including separating the annotated log data on a per tenant basis prior to storing.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the set of filters includes a filter that uniquely associates a tenant-specific identifier and a particular event pattern.

5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein the annotating step enriches event pattern data to include the tenant-specific identifier that is associated with a match between the event pattern in a transaction and one of the filters in the set of filters.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein each of the resources is a multi-tenant unaware resource.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further including performing a compliance analysis on per tenant-specific log data.

8. Apparatus to manage log data generated by resources hosted in a multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor to perform operations comprising;

aggregating and normalizing log information received from a plurality of the resources hosted in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, at least one of the configurable computing resources being a multi-tenant unaware resource that is shared among at least first and second tenants, the multi-tenant unaware resource generating log information that does not include any information that, by itself, can serve to distinguish which of the first and second tenants use the multi-tenant unaware resource, the log information being normalized by mapping data within the log information into one or more name/value pairs;

receiving input data as tenants carry out transactions in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, the input data being other than the generated log information generated by the multi-tenant unaware resource;

parsing the input data and the aggregated and normalized log information to identify a tenant associated with each of a set of transactions, wherein parsing compares an event pattern in a transaction against a set of filters; and

for each of the set of transactions, and based on the parsing identifying a match between an event pattern in a transaction against a filter in the set of filters, annotating log data associated with the tenant and the particular transaction to include a tenant-specific identifier.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the operations further include storing the annotated log data for multiple tenants.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein the operations further include separating the annotated log data on a per tenant basis prior to storing.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the set of filters includes a filter that uniquely associates a tenant-specific identifier and a particular event pattern.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 11 wherein the annotating step enriches event pattern data to include the tenant-specific identifier that is associated with a match between the event pattern in a transaction and one of the filters in the set of filters.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein each of the resources is a multi-tenant unaware resource.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein the operations further include performing a compliance analysis on per tenant-specific log data.

15. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system to manage log data generated by resources hosted in a multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, the computer program product holding computer program instructions which, when executed by the data processing system, perform a method comprising:

aggregating and normalizing log information received from a plurality of the resources hosted in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, at least one of the configurable computing resources being a multi-tenant unaware resource that is shared among at least first and second tenants, the multi-tenant unaware resource generating log information that does not include any information that, by itself, can serve to distinguish which of the first and second tenants use the multi-tenant unaware resource, the log information being normalized by mapping data within the log information into one or more name/value pairs;

receiving input data as tenants carry out transactions in the multi-tenant shared pool of configurable computing resources, the input data being other than the generated log information generated by the multi-tenant unaware resource;

parsing the input data and the aggregated and normalized log information to identify a tenant associated with each of a set of transactions, wherein parsing compares an event pattern in a transaction against a set of filters; and

for each of the set of transactions, and based on the parsing identifying a match between an event pattern in a transaction against a filter in the set of filters, annotating log data associated with the tenant and the particular transaction to include a tenant-specific identifier.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the method further includes storing the annotated log data for multiple tenants.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 16 wherein the method further includes separating the annotated log data on a per tenant basis prior to storing.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the set of filters includes a filter that uniquely associates a tenant-specific identifier and a particular event pattern.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 18 wherein the annotating step enriches event pattern data to include the tenant-specific identifier that is associated with a match between the event pattern in a transaction and one of the filters in the set of filters.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein each of the resources is a multi-tenant unaware resource.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the method further includes performing a compliance analysis on per tenant-specific log data.