System and methods for usage management in multi-level security networks

Abstract

A system and methods for transferring information between two or more incompatible security domains or levels of classification by embedding policy-centric content management components into an information-centric network. Specifically, overlay architectures enable cloud computing for multi-level security environments.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A network for transferring information across incompatible domains, comprising:
 an application layer including a context manager client service component and a dispatch service component, 
 a domain layer including a context manager component and a usage management mechanism component, 
 one or more nodes, wherein the one or more nodes are dispersed in a security domain, 
 wherein a request for content is received by the domain layer, the context manager component of the domain layer determines an environmental context in which the content is to be used according to the request, 
 the usage management mechanism component of the domain layer associates one or more policies with the request based on the environmental context, 
 the dispatch service component of the application layer sends a query to the one or more nodes for the content based on the one or more policies associated to the request based on the environmental context, wherein the security domain is divided into a plurality of domains with each domain governed by a different policy, 
 further comprises the one or more nodes deliver content only when the policy of the domain adheres to the one or more policies associated to the request based on the environmental context; and 
 the one or more nodes removes a portion of content that does not adhere to the one or more policies associated to the request based on the environmental context before delivering the content. 
 
     
     
       2. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  further comprising an infrastructure layer including an information and policy repository component containing content organized by the one or more policies associated to the request based on the environmental context. 
     
     
       3. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  wherein the one or more nodes interface with an external data source comprising content. 
     
     
       4. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  wherein the security domain is hierarchical. 
     
     
       5. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  wherein the one or more nodes includes a router node. 
     
     
       6. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  wherein the request for content uses a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). 
     
     
       7. The network for transferring information across incompatible domains according to  claim 1  wherein the one or more policies associated to the request based on the environmental context includes details how the content can be used.