Balancing consumption of random data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934000-B2
Application number	US-201313906056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2013
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for balancing consumption of random data, comprising an entropy manager operable to: responsive to receipt of a request for random data, monitor one or more events associated with a plurality of entities and access one or more rules; determine whether a higher level of entropy associated with the random data is required by analyzing the one or more events in accordance with the one or more rules; responsive to a determination that a higher level of entropy is not required, set an entropy state associated with the entropy to a lower level of entropy and obtain random data from an entropy source having a lower level of entropy; and responsive to a determination that a higher level of entropy is required, switch an entropy state associated with the entropy to a higher level of entropy and obtain random data from an entropy source having a higher level of entropy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A digital data apparatus for producing random digital data, comprising:
at least one physical processor;
a physical system memory;
a plurality of entropy sources each generating respective random source digital data having a corresponding level of entropy, including a first entropy source generating random source digital data having a first level of entropy, and a second entropy source generating random source digital data having a second level of entropy lower than said first level of entropy, said second entropy source being independent of said first entropy source;
a random number generator embodied as computer program code storable in said physical system memory and executable on said at least one physical processor, said random number generator receiving input from each said plurality of entropy sources, said random number generator generating a random digital data output by a deterministic algorithm using input from a selective one of said plurality of entropy sources as a seed for said deterministic algorithm;
an entropy manager embodied as computer program code storable in said physical system memory and executable on said at least one physical processor, wherein said entropy manager automatically selects one entropy source among said plurality of entropy sources as input for the seed for said deterministic algorithm used by said random number generator, said entropy manager automatically selecting one entropy source among said plurality of entropy sources by determining a minimum level of entropy required by a consuming entity from among multiple possible minimum levels of entropy required, wherein the consuming entity consumes random digital data output by said random number generator to perform at least one data processing function, wherein the minimum level of entropy required by the consuming entity is a minimum level required as input for the seed for said random number generator to produce the random digital data output consumed by the consuming entity, said entropy manager further automatically selecting an entropy source from among said plurality of entropy sources having the lowest corresponding level of entropy which meets said minimum level of entropy required by the consuming entity.

2. The digital data apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said entropy manager determines a level of entropy required by monitoring one or more events associated with a plurality of entities which consume random digital data output by said random number generator, accessing one or more rules, and analyzing the one or more events in accordance with the one or more rules.

3. The digital data apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said entropy manager monitors one or more events associated with a message connection associated with the plurality of entities.

4. The digital data apparatus of claim 3 , wherein responsive to an event indicating that no message is sent using the message connection, the entropy manager determines that a higher level of entropy is not required in accordance with the one or more rules.

5. The digital data apparatus of claim 3 , wherein responsive to an event indicating that a message is sent using the message connection and wherein the message does not indicate initialization of a secure operation, the entropy manager determines that a higher level of entropy is not required in accordance with the one or more rules.

6. The digital data apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the entropy manager prevents flipping of an entropy selection state to a lower level of entropy if the entropy selection state has been switched to a higher level of entropy.

7. The digital data apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of entropy sources further comprises a third entropy source generating random source digital data having a third level of entropy, the third level being higher than the second level and lower than the first level.

8. A method for producing random digital data in a digital data apparatus, comprising:
providing, with each of a plurality of entropy sources, respective random source digital data having a corresponding level of entropy to a random number generator, said plurality of entropy sources including a first entropy source providing random digital data having a first level of entropy, and a second entropy source providing random digital data having a second level of entropy lower than said first level of entropy, said second entropy source being independent of said first entropy source;
automatically selecting, with said digital data apparatus, an entropy source from among said plurality of entropy sources as input for a seed of said random number generator to generate a random digital data output, wherein said automatically selecting is performed by determining a minimum level of entropy required by a consuming entity from among multiple possible minimum levels of entropy required, and selecting an entropy source from among said plurality of entropy sources having the lowest corresponding level of entropy which meets said minimum level of entropy required by the consuming entity, wherein the consuming entity consumes random digital data output by said random number generator to perform at least one data processing function, wherein the minimum level of entropy required by the consuming entity is a minimum level required as input for the seed for said random number generator to produce the random digital data output consumed by the consuming entity; and
generating, with said random number generator, a random digital data output by applying a deterministic algorithm using the seed selected as input by said automatically selecting an entropy source from among said plurality of entropy sources as input for a seed of the random number generator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said automatically selecting an entropy source from among said plurality of entropy sources comprises monitoring one or more events associated with a plurality of entities which consume random digital data output by said random number generator, accessing one or more rules, and analyzing the one or more events in accordance with the one or more rules.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring one or more events comprises monitoring one or more events associated with a message connection associated with the plurality of entities.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein responsive to an event indicating that no message is sent using the message connection, a determination is made that a higher level of entropy is not required in accordance with the one or more rules.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein responsive to an event indicating that a message is sent using the message connection and wherein the message does not indicate initialization of a secure operation, a determination is made that a higher level of entropy is not required in accordance with the one or more rules.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of entropy sources further comprises a third entropy source providing random source digital data having a third level of entropy, the third level being higher than the second level and lower than the first level.

14. A computer program product for producing random digital data, the computer program product comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable media, wherein said instructions, when executed by at least one computer system, cause the at least one computer system to perform:
receiving, from each of a plurality of entropy sources, respective random source digital data having a corresponding level of entropy in a random number generator, said plurality of en

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Sherwood David
• Walker James William
• Walton Travis

Classifications

• G06F7/58 Primary

  Random or pseudo-random number generators · CPC title

• G06F7/588 Primary

  Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes · CPC title