When selecting an authorization solution, it’s important to consider your application’s needs. Both Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC) and Zanzibar-based authorization offer unique advantages.
Remember, authorization is not a one-time setup – it's an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and refinement. So choose wisely, but also be prepared to adapt as your application evolves.
Here's a breakdown of approaches.
What Makes PBAC Effective?
PBAC makes access control decisions based on defined policies, providing flexibility and adaptability.
PBAC supports multiple access control models such as ABAC, RBAC, and ReBAC.
With PBAC, policies are evaluated in real time, which is crucial for applications that need to respond quickly to changes in user roles or data.
Advantages of PBAC
- Real-Time Decision Making: Ensures access decisions are based on up-to-date data, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
- Flexibility: Adapts to various access control models and can handle complex scenarios.
- Ease of Management: Policies are written in a straightforward, human-readable format, making them easy to create, test, and modify.
Why Cerbos’s stateless approach enhances PBAC
- Scalability and Performance: Cerbos’s stateless architecture allows for horizontal scaling without the overhead of maintaining state. This enables handling a large number of authorization requests quickly and efficiently.
- Simplicity in Deployment: Stateless systems are easier to deploy and manage because they don’t require complex state synchronization across different servers. This makes your authorization infrastructure more resilient and easier to maintain.
- Reduced Latency: Without the need to manage state, Cerbos reduces latency in processing authorization requests, making it ideal for applications that demand high performance and low response times.
To learn more about how PBAC and Cerbos’s stateless architecture can optimize your authorization processes, check out how Cerbos implements PBAC.
Where Zanzibar-Based Authorization Fits Best
Zanzibar-based authorization uses a centralized system to manage access control lists (ACLs) for each resource, providing fine-grained control over who can access what. It is well-suited for applications with very large numbers of individual resources requiring individual permissions. Zanzibar offers consistency with a centralized access control logic system.
Benefits of Zanzibar-based Authorization
- Fine-grained control: Ideal for managing access to a large number of distinct resources with specific, individualized permissions.
- Centralized Management: Provides a single point of control, which can simplify auditing and policy enforcement for large-scale applications.
However, Zanzibar’s centralized nature requires constant synchronization between your application and the authorization system, which can introduce complexity and latency. This approach might be less suitable for applications that need to adapt quickly to changing data and user roles.
PBAC vs. Zanzibar: Choosing the Right Approach
Choosing between PBAC and Zanzibar depends on your application’s specific needs and constraints. Here’s a balanced look at what each approach offers:
Data synchronization:
- PBAC with Cerbos: Operates without the need for external state synchronization, eliminating delays and reducing complexity.
- Zanzibar: Relies on syncing data with a centralized system, which can add overhead and latency, especially in rapidly changing environments.
Flexibility and adaptability:
- PBAC with Cerbos: Supports multiple access control models and can easily adapt to changing requirements, making it suitable for most applications.
- Zanzibar: Offers fine-grained control but may not provide the same level of flexibility for applications with dynamic or complex access rules.
Simplicity and ease of use:
- PBAC with Cerbos: Easy to implement and manage, with a stateless design that simplifies deployment and enhances scalability.
- Zanzibar: Centralized management can be beneficial for consistency and auditing but requires more setup and ongoing maintenance.
If your application deals with dynamic data, frequently changing access requirements, or simply needs a flexible, easy-to-manage solution, PBAC with Cerbos is likely your best bet. It offers adaptability, real-time responsiveness, and the added benefits of Cerbos’s stateless architecture, making it ideal for most modern applications without synchronizing the application state or replicating database records to your authorization layer.
However, if your application manages a static collection of resources with highly specific access controls, Zanzibar could be a strong candidate. Its centralized approach ensures consistent and precise control, which can be advantageous in certain contexts.
Still not sure which approach is right for you? Learn more about how Cerbos can help you implement the best authorization strategy by booking some time to chat with an engineer.
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