IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,309,302
Granted Patent B2
US 12,309,302 · App. 17/722,508 · Granted May 20, 2025

Blockchain twin architecture for secure management of multi-cloud computing environment

Inventors: Shibi Panikkar (Bangalore, IN); Thirumaleshwara Adyanadka Shama (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L9/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,309,302
App. No.
17/722,508
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for management of a multi-cloud computing environment are disclosed. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A node is configured to participate in a distributed ledger protocol with one or more other nodes. The node is further configured to maintain, in conjunction with the one or more other nodes, a data structure of blocks, wherein the blocks represent one or more of elements and operations associated with a multi-cloud computing environment and collectively function as a digital representation of the multi-cloud computing environment.

Claims (46)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, the at least one processor, when executing program code, is configured to:

participate in a distributed ledger protocol as a node with one or more other nodes;

maintain, in conjunction with the one or more other nodes, a data structure of blocks comprising at least a parent block and one or more child blocks associated with the parent block, wherein the blocks represent one or more of elements and operations associated with a multi-cloud computing environment and collectively function as a digital representation of the multi-cloud computing environment; and

obtain a workload to be executed by a first service and a second service which is different from the first service, within the multi-cloud computing environment, wherein:

the parent block is associated with the obtained workload;

the data structure of blocks comprises individual child block chains associated with the parent block; and

the individual child block chains comprise a first child block chain which comprises a first sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a first workload executed by the first service, and a second child block chain which comprises a second sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a second workload executed by the second service.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multi-cloud computing environment comprises at least one of a multi-cloud service platform and two or more cloud platforms.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the two or more cloud platforms comprise two or more public clouds, two or more private clouds, or a combination of at least one public cloud and at least one private cloud.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, when executing program code, is further configured to, in response to a request, participate in establishment of one or more unique identities for one or more services provided within the multi-cloud computing environment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the one or more unique identities comprises a private cryptographic key, wherein the private cryptographic key is maintained in the data structure of blocks.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the private cryptographic key is configured to prevent unauthorized access to a corresponding one of the one or more services.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor, when executing program code, is further configured to, in response to establishment of the one or more unique identities for one or more services, participate in obtaining the workload to be executed by the one or more services within the multi-cloud computing environment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein at least one child block in the first child block chain comprises a use relationship with at least one child block in the second child block chain.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor, when executing program code, is further configured to, in response to obtaining the workload, participate in provisioning of the workload to the one or more services within the multi-cloud computing environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more child blocks respectively represent provisioning the workload to the one or more services within the multi-cloud computing environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the data structure further comprises an attribute representing a relationship between the one or more child blocks with respect to the provisioned workload.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor, when executing program code, is further configured to, in response to provisioning of the workload, participate in moving the workload to execute on another service within the multi-cloud computing environment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the data structure comprises one or more blocks representing movement of the workload to the other service within the multi-cloud computing environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, when executing program code, is further configured to provide an interface for presenting the data structure of blocks to enable an end-to-end view of a workload within the multi-cloud computing environment.

15. A method comprising:

participating, by a node, in a distributed ledger protocol with one or more other nodes;

maintaining, by the node, in conjunction with the one or more other nodes, a data structure of blocks comprising at least a parent block and one or more child blocks associated with the parent block, wherein the blocks represent one or more of elements and operations associated with a multi-cloud computing environment and collectively function as a digital representation of the multi-cloud computing environment; and

obtaining a workload to be executed by a first service and a second service which is different from the first service, within the multi-cloud computing environment, wherein:

the parent block is associated with the obtained workload;

the data structure of blocks comprises individual child block chains associated with the parent block;

the individual child block chains comprise a first child block chain which comprises a first sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a first workload executed by the first service, and a second child block chain which comprises a second sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a second workload executed by the second service; and

the node comprises at least one processor coupled to at least one memory such that the at least one processor, when executing program code, performs the participating, maintaining, and obtaining steps.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the multi-cloud computing environment comprises at least one of a multi-cloud service platform and two or more cloud platforms.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the node participates in one or more of:

establishing one or more unique identities for one or more services provided within the multi-cloud computing environment;

provisioning the workload to the one or more services within the multi-cloud computing environment; and

moving the workload to execute on another service within the multi-cloud computing environment.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

participate in a distributed ledger protocol as a node with one or more other nodes;

maintain, in conjunction with the one or more other nodes, a data structure of blocks comprising at least a parent block and one or more child blocks associated with the parent block, wherein the blocks represent one or more of elements and operations associated with a multi-cloud computing environment and collectively function as a digital representation of the multi-cloud computing environment; and

obtain a workload to be executed by a first service and a second service which is different from the first service, within the multi-cloud computing environment, wherein:

the parent block is associated with the obtained workload;

the data structure of blocks comprises individual child block chains associated with the parent block; and

the individual child block chains comprise a first child block chain which comprises a first sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a first workload executed by the first service, and a second child block chain which comprises a second sequence of one or more child blocks associated with a second workload executed by the second service.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the multi-cloud computing environment comprises at least one of a multi-cloud service platform and two or more cloud platforms.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the program code, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

participate in establishment of one or more unique identities for one or more services provided within the multi-cloud computing environment;

participate in provisioning of the workload to the one or more services within the multi-cloud computing environment; and

participate in movement of the workload to execute on another service within the multi-cloud computing environment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2022
From: PANIKKAR, SHIBI; SHAMA, THIRUMALESHWARA ADYANADKA
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 059621/0776 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230336367A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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