Distributed storage of data in a local storage and a heterogeneous cloud

• US 10,013,181 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Borlick, Matthew G., Gupta, Lokesh M., Hathorn, Roger G., Nielsen, Karl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Savla, Arpan P.
• Application Number:
  US14/961,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20170160951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

Provided are a method, a system, and a computer program product in which a storage controller determines a plurality of parts of a dataset. At least one part of the dataset is stored in a local storage coupled to the storage controller. At least one other part of the dataset in one or more cloud storages coupled to the storage controller.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a storage controller, a plurality of parts of a dataset, wherein the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise a first part, a second part, and a third part, wherein the first part has a higher security need for storage than the second part, and wherein the second part has a higher security need for storage than the third part;

storing the first part of the dataset in local storage of the storage controller; and

storing the second part of the dataset in a first cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, and the third part of the dataset in a second cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, wherein the first cloud storage provides a relatively higher level of security than the second cloud storage, the method further comprising;

communicating, by the storage controller, via a first communications protocol with the first cloud storage;

communicating, by the storage controller, via a second communications protocol that is different from the first communications protocol with the second cloud storage, wherein the first communications protocol provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol;

changing the first communications protocol that provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, to another communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a first predetermined amount of time; and

changing the second communications protocol that provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol, to a different communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a second predetermined amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining which part of the dataset to store in local storage and which part of the dataset to store in which of one or more cloud storages is based on a plurality of factors including security features provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, speed of access provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, communications protocols for communication with the one or more cloud storages, and configuration of local storage devices and selected cloud storages as RAID.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local storage and the first and the second cloud storages are configured as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage controller is coupled to a plurality of hosts, wherein the first cloud storage is separated at least by 10 kilometers from the second cloud storage, and wherein the first cloud storage and the second cloud storage provide cloud computing services to the storage controller for the plurality of hosts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first communications protocol is changed to another communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the first communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the first communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data; and

the second communications protocol is changed to a different communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the second communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the second communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise another first part, another second part, and another third part, wherein the another first part has a higher security need than the another second part, and wherein the another second part has a higher security need than the another third part;

storing the another first part of the dataset in the local storage of the storage controller;

storing the another second part of the dataset in another first cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, and the another third part of the dataset in another second cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, wherein the another first cloud storage provides a relatively higher speed for access to data than the another second cloud storage.

5. A system coupled to a local storage and one or more cloud storages, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising;

determining a plurality of parts of a dataset, wherein the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise a first part, a second part, and a third part, wherein the first part has a higher security need for storage than the second part, and wherein the second part has a higher security need for storage than the third part;

storing the first part of the dataset in the local storage; and

storing the second part of the dataset in a first cloud storage of the one or more cloud storages, and the third part of the dataset in a second cloud storage of the one or more cloud storages, wherein the first cloud storage provides a relatively higher level of security than the second cloud storage, the operations further comprising;

communicating, via a first communications protocol, with the first cloud storage;

communicating, via a second communications protocol that is different from the first communications protocol, with the second cloud storage, wherein the first communications protocol provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol;

changing the first communications protocol that provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, to another communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a first predetermined amount of time; and

changing the second communications protocol that provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol, to a different communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a second predetermined amount of time.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein determining which part of the dataset to store in local storage and which part of the dataset to store in which of the one or more cloud storages is based on a plurality of factors including security features provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, speed of access provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, communications protocols for communication with the one or more cloud storages, and configuration of local storage devices and selected cloud storages as RAID.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the local storage and the one or more cloud storages are configured as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID).

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is a storage controller that is coupled to a plurality of hosts, wherein the first cloud storage is separated at least by 10 kilometers from the second cloud storage, and wherein the first cloud storage and the second cloud storage provide cloud computing services to the storage controller for the plurality of hosts.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first communications protocol is changed to another communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the first communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the first communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data; and

the second communications protocol is changed to a different communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the second communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the second communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise another first part, another second part, and another third part, wherein the another first part has a higher security need than the another second part, and wherein the another second part has a higher security need than the another third part;

storing the another first part of the dataset in the local storage;

storing the another second part of the dataset in another first cloud storage, and the another third part of the dataset in another second cloud storage, wherein the another first cloud storage provides a relatively higher speed for access to data than the another second cloud storage.

9. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining, by a storage controller, a plurality of parts of a dataset, wherein the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise a first part, a second part, and a third part, wherein the first part has a higher security need for storage than the second part, and wherein the second part has a higher security need for storage than the third part;

storing the first part of the dataset in local storage of the storage controller; and

storing the second part of the dataset in a first cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, and the third part of the dataset in a second cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, wherein the first cloud storage provides a relatively higher level of security than the second cloud storage, the operations further comprising;

communicating, by the storage controller, via a first communications protocol with the first cloud storage;

communicating, by the storage controller, via a second communications protocol that is different from the first communications protocol with the second cloud storage, wherein the first communications protocol provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol;

changing the first communications protocol that provides a relatively higher level of security than the second communications protocol, to another communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a first predetermined amount of time; and

changing the second communications protocol that provides a relatively lower level of security than the first communications protocol, to a different communications protocol, in response to an elapse of a second predetermined amount of time.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein determining which part of the dataset to store in local storage and which part of the dataset to store in which of one or more cloud storages is based on a plurality of factors including security features provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, speed of access provided by the one or more cloud storages and the local storage, communications protocols for communication with the one or more cloud storages, and configuration of local storage devices and selected cloud storages as RAID.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the local storage and one or more cloud storages are configured as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), wherein the storage controller is coupled to a plurality of hosts, wherein the first cloud storage is separated at least by 10 kilometers from the second cloud storage, and wherein the first cloud storage and the second cloud storage provide cloud computing services to the storage controller for the plurality of hosts.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein:

the first communications protocol is changed to another communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the first communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the first communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data; and

the second communications protocol is changed to a different communications protocol that is not compromised, in response to a compromise of the second communications protocol via a disclosure of a vulnerability in the second communications protocol that is exploitable for interception of data.

17. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of parts of the dataset comprise another first part, another second part, and another third part, wherein the another first part has a higher security need than the another second part, and wherein the another second part has a higher security need than the another third part;

storing the another first part of the dataset in the local storage of the storage controller;

storing the another second part of the dataset in another first cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, and the another third part of the dataset in another second cloud storage coupled to the storage controller, wherein the another first cloud storage provides a relatively higher speed for access to data than the another second cloud storage.