Layer-based access control model in the manufacturing infrastructure and design automation system

Abstract

Design and manufacturing of a complex product requires collaboration among companies. The collaborating companies form a virtual enterprise, which is dynamically organized. In this paper, we propose a Layer-based Access Control (LBAC) system in a collaborative design and manufacturing environment. Our system protects not only data but also processes in a hierarchical distributed workflow environment. The goal is to shield the process from illegal access as well as to protect intellectual properties and trade secrets. Our proposed approach protects objects between organizations at different level of granularity, and supports access control (AC) in heterogeneous environments. In LBAC, we introduce a new concept - AC layer, which wraps the AC systems of a virtual organization. The security information exchanges between the AC systems inside and outside the AC layer through a well-defined interface of the AC layer. The AC layer seamlessly glues different AC systems in organizations together according to the inter-organization workflow. Inside an organization the role is used to manage accesses. The encapsulation and dynamic binding features of the layered based approach make LBAC suitable for the collaborative design and manufacturing environment. © Springer-Verlag 2004.