Trusted Computing Group

Trusted Multi-tenant Infrastructure FAQs

What is the Trusted Multi-Tenant Infrastructure Work Group? What does "trusted multi-tenant infrastructure" mean and why was it selected as the name of this work group? Why is a new work group necessary? Who is involved?

Q. What is the Trusted Multi-Tenant Infrastructure Work Group?

A. This work group was formed in 2010 to develop a standards framework for implementing:

• Shared infrastructures
• Multi-provider infrastructures
• Reference models and implementation guidance
• Identify and address gaps in existing standards

The vision of this new work group is to develop an open framework, using existing TCG specifications when appropriate, which defines end-to-end reference models for the practical deployment of trusted cloud or shared infrastructures.

Q. What does "trusted multi-tenant infrastructure" mean and why was it selected as the name of this work group?

A. Multi-tenant infrastructure is an industry term for infrastructure that is shared by unrelated users. This is similar to what has been called "cloud" computing, in which users access computing resources that are hosted offsite by a third party. While this model can be very useful for many users, obvious issues including security have arisen.

Trusted Multi-Tenant infrastructure enables a consumer to establish trust, exchange information about the platforms they use, assure compliance to agreed policies, and provide measurement of platform state. The ability to establish consumer trust in shared and multi-tenant infrastructure drove the formation of this work group.

 

Q. Why is a new work group necessary?

A. As noted above, security is emerging as a key issue to what many think of as cloud computing. The fact that data resides offsite and is accessible by users remotely over networks to multiple endpoints around the globe creates new security issues. We believe that the incorporation of trust to these infrastructures and the application of many existing TCG specifications can mitigate such security problems. This work group will examine how and what other elements are necessary to secure and grow confidence is the use of multi-tenant infrastructure. For example, the work group will:

 

• Standardize: identify and address gaps in standards landscape to enable trust
• Establish trust in the provider of IT services
• Establish and monitor compliance to changing IT policy
• Assess and monitor compliance to cost, policy and performance objectives
• Do this in a multi-sourced, multi-supplier ecosystem
• Provide a Reference Implementation Framework for TMI

The work group will examine providing logical security domains to house various consumers across shared infrastructure.  Issues the work group will address include establishing trust with providers, accountable compliance to policy, reliable logical isolation and related issues.

 

Q. What does it hope to achieve?

A. This work group's objectives are to provide a framework to:

• Enable consumers to assess the trustworthiness of provider systems
• Enable real-time assessment of compliance as part of the provisioning process
• Support real-time monitoring of compliance to agreed policy
• Provide a reference implementation guidance framework of standards

 

Q. Will it create new specifications?

A. The group will review existing specifications and their application to the trusted multi-tenant infrastructure, then identify gaps and whether additional TCG or other specifications are necessary to provide a complete trusted multi-tenant infrastructure.

 

Q. Which TCG members are involved in this work group?

A. Any TCG contributor member can participate in the work group. It's chaired currently by TCG member representatives from HP and BAE Systems and many other TCG members are participating.

 

Q. Do you anticipate that other companies will join TCG in its efforts? If so, which ones would you target?

A. Yes, we welcome membership and input from the cloud providers and vendors supporting cloud computing. The TMI Working Group is structured to develop and use a reference implementation framework to identify alignment and/or gaps in the existing standards to accomplish the goal of implementing a trusted solution drive technical standards from a business value and solution point of view, so companies interested in providing or consuming multi-tenant infrastructure services are encouraged to join and contribute. 

Companies interested in joining can contact TCG and learn more about membership at http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/join_now/membership_benefits.

 

Q. Are new specifications from other TCG work groups or other standards organizations necessary to implement the vision of the Trusted Multi-Tenant Infrastructure Work Group?

A. That is something the work group will evaluate soon.

 

Q. Which existing TCG specifications are relevant to the Trusted Multi-Tenant Infrastructure Work Group's efforts?

A. TCG has a number of existing specifications that play a role in the trusted multi-tenant infrastructure. These include the Trusted Network Connect (TNC) architecture, the Trusted Platform Module, specifications from the TCG Infrastructure Work Group and work underway in the Virtualization Work Group.

 

While the Trusted Multi-Tenant Infrastructure Work Group is new to TCG, our members have been thinking about security and the cloud for some time. For additional information on that, you can read our recent white paper. You can also read several articles on this at http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/media_room/news/100, http://brianberger.sys-con.com/node/1411630, and at http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/1330353, and view a short video of one our members discussing this topic at http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/resources/how_trusted_platform_modules_tpms_could_improve_cloud_security.

 

Q. When do you expect to see users benefiting from the efforts of this work group?

A. It is the intent of this working group to publish use cases, discussion papers and engage in public dialogue throughout the process of developing the formal reference models. We would expect to begin releasing material 3Q10.  We will also host open discussions on our LinkedIn group at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3254114.