Abstract: Techniques for achieving parallel scalability, storage capacity, and improved storage performance in a multi-tenant storage cloud environment are presented. A Tenant Storage Machine (TSM) of a tenant for the multi-tenant storage cloud environment is portable and can be dynamically detached from one or more storage controllers and dynamically moved to provide scalability, capacity, and improved storage performance.

Abstract: Techniques for ensuring performance metrics are met by resources in a multi-tenant storage controller are presented. Each resource of the multi-tenant storage controller is tracked on a per tenant bases. Usage limits are enforced on per resource and per tenant bases for the multi-tenant storage controller.

Abstract: Techniques for translating Service Level Agreement (SLA) policy into storage controller requirements within a cloud storage environment are presented. System resource metrics for a storage controller are derived. The SLA policy is defined in terms of SLA parameters. Heuristics are used to translate the SLA parameters into defined percentages of system resources for the storage controller, which are compared to the system resource metrics and adjustments are updates are made as needed.

Abstract: Techniques for managing and monitoring multi-tenant storage in a cloud environment are presented. Storage resources are monitored on a per tenant bases and as a whole for the cloud environment. New and existing administrative types can be dynamically created and managed within the cloud environment.

Abstract: Techniques for achieving storage and network isolation in a cloud environment are presented. A single Internet Protocol (IP) address is presented to multiple storage tenants that use storage in a cloud environment. When each tenant accesses the IP address, a specific identity of the tenant is resolved and the storage stack for that tenant is sent to the tenant's storage machine having the tenant's storage. The tenant is directly connected to its tenant storage machine thereafter.

Abstract: Techniques for tenant-bases storage security and service level assurances in a cloud environment are presented. A Tenant Storage Machine (TSM) for each tenant uses a unique identifier. The TSM is dynamically allocated with operating system resources to run processes based on agreed service level assurances. The service level assurances are stored in a Service Level Assurance (SLA) policy store. The TSM communicates with the SLA policy store via a TSM bus to acquire a SLA policy configured for the tenant and based on which resources are dynamically allocated. Processes running under the TSM run with root privileges to provide security.

Abstract: Techniques for achieving tenant data confidentiality in a cloud environment are presented. A daemon process within a Tenant Storage Machine (TSM) manages a key store for a particular tenant of a cloud storage environment having multiple other tenants. Just TSM storage processes are given access to the key store. Data is decrypted for the particular tenant when access is needed and data is encrypted using encryption keys of the key store when written in the cloud storage environment.

Abstract: Techniques for non-repudiation of storage in cloud or shared storage environments are provided. A unique signature is generated within a cloud or shared storage environment for each file of the storage tenant that accesses the cloud or shared storage environment. Each signature is stored as part of the file system and every time a file is accessed that signature is verified. When a file is updated, the signature is updated as well to reflect the file update.

Abstract: Techniques for secure network communication are provided. Credentials for a user along with a transparently generated secret are sent to a resource that the user desires to establish a secure communication session with. After successful authentication of the user, an initial sequence number for a first transaction of the session is set on a client of the user. Thereafter, with each transaction of the session the client supplies a new and unique sequence number to a server of the resource and uses the secret to encode and validate that transaction. The server of the resource does not permit any transaction that includes an invalid or previously used sequence number.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to authenticate a desktop client to an identity service (IS), to receive a request, from an application, at the IS via the desktop client for a virtual service internet protocol (IP) address associated with a service. The IS may operate to build a routing token that includes an original physical IP address associated with the service when a policy associated with the IS permits access to the service by a user identity associated with the desktop client. After the routing token is validated, the application may be connected to the service via the desktop client. The application may comprise an e-mail application or a remote control application, such as a virtual network computing (VNC) application. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for sharing virtual machine (VM) resources are provided. A relative location for a resource within a VM is created; the relative location dynamically resolves to a particular physical location when a principal requests access to the resource at runtime. The principal is located outside an environment associated with the VM. Authentication and access restrictions are dynamically enforced against the requests made by the principal before a connection is permitted between the principal and the resource (the resource located within the environment of the VM).

Abstract: Techniques for secure access management to virtual environments are provided. A user authenticates to a portal for purposes of establishing a virtual machine (VM). The portal interacts with a cloud server and an identity server to authenticate the user, to acquire an Internet Protocol (IP) address and port number for the VM, and to obtain a secure token. The user then interacts with a secure socket layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) server to establish a SSL VPN session with the VM. The SSL VPN server also authenticates the token through the identity server and acquires dynamic policies to enforce during the SSL VPN session between the user and the VM (the VM managed by the cloud server).

Abstract: Techniques for managing a secure communication session are provided. A non-browser application utilizes a browser to establish a secure communication session with a server. The session cookie set in the browser is mapped by the server to a secret token that is supplied via the browser to the non-browser application. The browser is then closed and the secure communication session between the server and the non-browser application continues unabated via the secret token.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to establish a secure communications tunnel between a server node and a client node, and to receive user requests from the client node at the server node via the secure communications tunnel. The user requests may be received in conjunction with a device verification token derived from nonces generated by the server node and transmitted to the client node as part of keep-alive response messages. The nonces may change according to a period of time established by the server node. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for identity-based Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) are provided. First and second principals authenticate to a trusted third party. The first principal subsequently requests a P2P VPN with the second principal. The second principal is contacted on behalf of the first principal and permission is acquired. The first and second principals are then sent commands to directly establish a P2P VPN communication session with one another.

Abstract: Techniques for secure network communication are provided. Credentials for a user along with a transparently generated secret are sent to a resource that the user desires to establish a secure communication session with. After successful authentication of the user, an initial sequence number for a first transaction of the session is set on a client of the user. Thereafter, with each transaction of the session the client supplies a new and unique sequence number to a server of the resource and uses the secret to encode and validate that transaction. The server of the resource does not permit any transaction that includes an invalid or previously used sequence number.

Abstract: Techniques for identity techniques for single sign-on functionality for secure communications over insecure networks are provided. A principal achieves single sign-on access to a server via a client by initially authenticating to third-party authentication service. Next, a credentialing service supplies a randomly generated credential to the client and the server unbeknownst to the principal. The principal is then equipped to engage in secure communicates over an insecure network using the credential that is managed by services of the client to authenticate to services of the server in a fashion that the principal is unaware of.