5 ms·

Probably because it reduces the attack surface, instead of having to worry about a 0-day in ssh or similar, you can just worry about your application. Also if s

Probably because it reduces the attack surface, instead of having to worry about a 0-day in ssh or similar, you can just worry about your application. Also if someone else on the machine gets compromised, I assume you are isolated from that also since the attacker is still contained inside that container.

pkconstantine 13y ago
Not only that. Each request is isolated in its own container. This way one user of your application cannot gain access to data of another user by simply exploiting an application bug.
- kennywinker 13y ago
  That's assuming you lock down access at the level of the application instance. If you create an instance with permission to read all data, it doesn't matter that it's been created by a single request… it's still got permission to read everything. Not saying a single request instance isn't a win for security, but you'll have to build your app around this concept to get that win.
  - pkconstantine 13y ago
    To make application truly multi-tenant you will need to adopt "share nothing" concept anyway. We just supply you with a "share nothing" infrastructure.
    - hrjet 13y ago
      I am not able to wrap my head around this. If I have to run a database, say postgresql, how do I run it? Inside the ZeroVM or outside? To run the DB I would need to give it file system access? Now if there is a security hole in postgresql, how is it guaranteed that files other than DB files are never accessed?
      - pkconstantine 13y ago
        If you have to run a single database for multi-tenant application you're in for some real pain. For example: how will you shard it? How will you load-balance it? ZeroVM approach to cloud is that "cloud is the database". ZeroVM sessions have transactional qualities: deterministic, isolated, can be rolled back, etc. Essentially we integrate distributed storage with "stored procedures" and "triggers", this is what ZeroVM cloud looks like.
- passfree 13y ago
  Typically it takes a single request to dump various data via SQL injection. Just saying.

pkconstantine 13y ago

Not only that. Each request is isolated in its own container. This way one user of your application cannot gain access to data of another user by simply exploiting an application bug.

kennywinker 13y ago
That's assuming you lock down access at the level of the application instance. If you create an instance with permission to read all data, it doesn't matter that it's been created by a single request… it's still got permission to read everything. Not saying a single request instance isn't a win for security, but you'll have to build your app around this concept to get that win.
- pkconstantine 13y ago
  To make application truly multi-tenant you will need to adopt "share nothing" concept anyway. We just supply you with a "share nothing" infrastructure.
  - hrjet 13y ago
    I am not able to wrap my head around this. If I have to run a database, say postgresql, how do I run it? Inside the ZeroVM or outside? To run the DB I would need to give it file system access? Now if there is a security hole in postgresql, how is it guaranteed that files other than DB files are never accessed?
    - pkconstantine 13y ago
      If you have to run a single database for multi-tenant application you're in for some real pain. For example: how will you shard it? How will you load-balance it? ZeroVM approach to cloud is that "cloud is the database". ZeroVM sessions have transactional qualities: deterministic, isolated, can be rolled back, etc. Essentially we integrate distributed storage with "stored procedures" and "triggers", this is what ZeroVM cloud looks like.
passfree 13y ago
Typically it takes a single request to dump various data via SQL injection. Just saying.