Secure deployment of a software package
Techniques for easy and secure deployment of a software package from a server to a customer-controlled computing device are described. In an embodiment, a deployment engine running on a server can be used to generate a unique URL for deployment of the software package. The unique URL may include a restricted use token. The restricted use token may be generated based on a combination of a random selection of one or more dictionary words, numbers, and/or symbols. The restricted token is easily readable given the combination of dictionary words, numbers, and/or symbols that make up the restricted use token. The unique URL may then be entered into a customer-controlled computing device via a curl command. The curl command will use the unique URL to generate a secure channel to the deployment engine and automatically download the software package onto the customer-controlled computing device. Upon downloading and/or installing the software package on the customer-controlled computing device, the unique URL is invalidated so that it may not be reused.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server, a request to generate a software package;
in response to receiving the request to generate the software package, the server generating the software package;
in response to receiving the request to generate the software package, the server generating a unique URL for the software package, wherein the unique URL comprises a restricted use token string and a URL root string;
wherein the restricted use token string comprises one or more dictionary strings randomly selected from a dictionary comprising a plurality of candidate dictionary strings;
receiving, at the server, a deployment command from a client computing device, wherein the deployment command comprises the unique URL;
in response to receiving the deployment command, sending the software package to the client computing device over a secure channel;
deactivating the unique URL on the server;
wherein the method is performed using one or more processors.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each candidate dictionary string of the plurality of candidate dictionary strings comprises a dictionary word.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dictionary strings comprises a plurality of dictionary strings.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the number of dictionary strings in the plurality of dictionary strings is randomly determined.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the restricted use token comprises concatenating the plurality of dictionary strings with a delimiter between each of the plurality of dictionary strings.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing validity data regarding the restricted use token; and
determining whether the deployment command is valid by comparing an extracted portion of the deployment command with the validity data for the restricted use token.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the validity data comprises a threshold number of uses for the restricted use token and determining whether the deployment command is valid comprises:
determining that the extracted portion of the deployment command matches the restricted use token; and
determining whether the threshold number of uses for the restricted use token has been exceeded or not.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the validity data comprises a time range for the restricted use token and determining whether the deployment command is valid comprises:
determining that the extracted portion of the deployment command matches the restricted use token; and
determining whether the deployment command was received in the time range.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deployment command is a curl command.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software package comprises a data extraction agent that is programmed or configured to perform data extraction of data records from a data source.
11. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instruction, which when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving a request to generate a software package;
in response to receiving the request to generate the software package, generating the software package;
in response to receiving the request to generate the software package, generating a unique URL for the software package, wherein the unique URL comprises a restricted use token string and a URL root string;
wherein the restricted use token string comprises one or more dictionary strings randomly selected from a dictionary comprising a plurality of candidate dictionary strings;
receiving a deployment command from a client computing device, wherein the deployment command comprises the unique URL;
in response to receiving the deployment command, sending the software package to the client computing device over a secure channel; and
deactivating the unique URL.
12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein each candidate dictionary string of the plurality of candidate dictionary strings comprises a dictionary word.
13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dictionary strings comprises a plurality of dictionary strings.
14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the number of dictionary strings in the plurality of dictionary strings is randomly determined.
15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the restricted use token comprises concatenating the plurality of dictionary strings with a delimiter between each of the plurality of dictionary strings.
16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
storing validity data regarding the restricted use token; and
determining whether the deployment command is valid by comparing an extracted portion of the deployment command with the validity data for the restricted use token.
17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the validity data comprises a threshold number of uses for the restricted use token and determining whether the deployment command is valid comprises:
determining that the extracted portion of the deployment command matches the restricted use token; and
determining whether the threshold number of uses for the restricted use token has been exceeded or not.
18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the validity data comprises a time range for the restricted use token and determining whether the deployment command is valid comprises:
determining that the extracted portion of the deployment command matches the restricted use token; and
determining whether the deployment command was received in the time range.
19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the deployment command is a curl command.
20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the software package comprises a data extraction agent that is programmed or configured to perform data extraction of data records from a data source.