Token based communication

• US 10,277,408 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, John, Lee, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T
• Application Number:
  US15/808,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1425 by reconfiguration of node membership
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1612 where the redundant component is persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/83 the solution involving signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method for authorizing I/O (input/output) commands in a storage cluster is provided. The method includes generating a token responsive to an authority initiating an I/O command, wherein the token is specific to assignment of the authority and a storage node of the storage cluster. The method includes verifying the I/O command using the token, wherein the token includes a signature confirming validity of the token and wherein the token is revocable.

Claims

1. A method for handling I/O (input/output) commands in a storage cluster, performed by the storage cluster, the method comprising:

sending an I/O command relating to storage of user data across storage nodes of a storage cluster, and a token associated to the I/O command, from a first storage node of the storage cluster to a second storage node of the storage cluster, the token generated responsive to an authority having ownership of the user data initiating the sending;

verifying, at the second storage node, the I/O command, based on contents of the token; and

executing the I/O command, at the second storage node, based on the verifying.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying based on the contents of the token comprises:

verifying a signature in the token; and

determining whether the token has expired.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

voting among storage nodes of the storage cluster to sign the token; and

embedding a signature in the token, responsive to the voting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the token comprises sending a token having a storage node identifier and a timestamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple chassis are connected to define the storage cluster.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a validity time period of the token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying based on the contents of the token comprises:

decrypting an embedded signature of the token; and

comparing the decrypted embedded signature to an expected value.

8. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

communicating an I/O command and an associated token from one of a plurality of storage nodes of a storage cluster to a further one of the plurality of storage nodes, wherein the I/O command relates to storage of user data across the plurality of storage nodes, and the token indicates ownership of a portion of the user data affected by the I/O command, the token generated responsive to an authority having ownership of the user data initiating the sending;

verifying the token, at the further one of the plurality of storage nodes; and

performing the I/O command, at the further one of the plurality of storage nodes, responsive to the verifying.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the verifying the token comprises:

verifying a signature embedded in the token; and

determining that the token has not expired.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

voting, among the plurality of storage nodes of the storage cluster, to sign the token;

generating a signature; and

embedding the signature in the token.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

generating the token with contents including a storage node identifier and a timestamp, wherein the timestamp establishes a validity time period for the I/O command.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

generating the I/O command and the token for one of a plurality of authorities in the plurality of storage nodes, wherein each of the plurality of authorities owns a range of the user data.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the verifying the token comprises:

obtaining a storage node identifier from the token;

decrypting an embedded signature of the token; and

comparing the decrypted embedded signature to the storage node identifier.

14. A storage cluster, comprising:

a plurality of storage nodes, the plurality of storage nodes having storage memory, and configurable to stripe user data across the plurality of storage nodes and the storage memory; and

the plurality of storage nodes further configurable to;

send an I/O command with an associated token, from a first one of the plurality of storage nodes to a second one of the plurality of storage nodes, the token generated responsive to an authority having ownership of the user data initiating the sending;

verify the token and, as a result, the I/O command, at the second one of the plurality of storage nodes; and

execute the I/O command, at the second one of the plurality of storage nodes, having verified the token.

15. The storage cluster of claim 14, wherein to verify the token, the plurality of storage nodes are configurable to:

verify a signature of the token; and

determine, from a timestamp of the token, whether the token has expired.

16. The storage cluster of claim 14, further comprising the plurality of storage nodes configurable to:

vote to sign the token; and

embed a signature in the token.

17. The storage cluster of claim 14, wherein the token comprises a storage node identifier and a timestamp.

18. The storage cluster of claim 14, further comprising:

the plurality of storage nodes having a plurality of authorities therein, each of the plurality of authorities owning a range of the user data; and

the plurality of storage nodes configurable to generate the I/O command and the token specific to one of the plurality of authorities in the storage cluster.

19. The storage cluster of claim 14, wherein:

the token has a timestamp that establishes a validity time period of the token;

the token expires after the validity time period; and

the token is revocable.

20. The storage cluster of claim 14, wherein multiple chassis are connected to define the storage cluster.