The Secure Abels Brokering System

The Agent-Based Environment for Linking Simulations (ABELS) system is a software framework whose goal is to enable independent simulations and other data resources to exchange information dynamically without prior knowledge of each other. Specifically, it enables the dynamic formation of a “cloud” of simulations and other networked resources such as sensors and databases. This data and simulation cloud uses a distributed brokering system to match data consumers in the cloud with appropriate data producers, based on registration information submitted by the various participants in the cloud. In a system of interacting independent resources, there are several security concerns, including how to prevent undesirable entities from joining and participating in the cloud, how to protect sensitive information, and how to ensure the integrity of the cloud so that it functions reliably. This paper presents the redesign of the ABELS brokering system to incorporate security features that address these concerns.