Technology Overview

Byzantine consensus among replicas is one of the technology building blocks to tolerate faults and intrusions in an automatic and unattended manner. However, classical bootstrapping methods leave behind a window of vulnerability where too few replicas are active to achieve this tolerance, in particular if the system is first booted into a less trustworthy system and only then transitioned to the replicated instance (late launch). This invention describes an apparatus and methods for launching a replicated system, such that one can immediately benefit from the tolerance achieved through replication. Moreover, the protection extends to tolerating faults in a minority of the bootstrapping units, while allowing for repair actions of the same.

Stage of Development

Finished the design and evaluation of claimed properties, lab tested, enhancements development ongoing.

Benefits

Full tolerance available from the moment the system reports that it has been booted into the replicated system. Up to a configurable amount of replicas can be compromised/become faults during the boot process.

Applications

Critical infrastructures, cloud, safety-critical systems

Opportunity

Seeking:

Direct licensing of technology to a company
Further joint development of technology together with company, e.g., through a partnership project

Late Launch of Replicated System

Patents

IP Status

Seeking