Tape backup method

• US 20080183992A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Security First Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Security First Corp
• Inventors: Martin, Don, O'Hare, Mark S., Orsini, Rick L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00

Abstract

A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing and communicating data. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security. The secure data parser may be used to protect data in motion by splitting original data into portions of data, that may be communicated using multiple communications paths.

Claims

1. A method for backing up a data set, the method comprising:

generating at least two portions of data from the data set, wherein each of the at least two portions of data respectively contains a substantially random distribution of a respective subset of the data set; and

storing each of the at least two portions of data on a separate backup tape, wherein

the data set is restorable from at least two portions of the at least two portions of data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising digitally protecting the backup tape with a value selected from the group consisting of SHA-256, HMAC hash value, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether the backup tape is capable of being used to restore the data set according to whether the value changed.

4. A method for backing up a data set, the method comprising:

generating at least two portions of data from the data set, wherein each of the at least two portions of data respectively contains a substantially random distribution of a respective subset of the data set; and

storing each of the at least two portions of data at a separate node, wherein each node comprises at least one backup tape, and wherein

the data set is restorable from at least two of the nodes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising digitally protecting the backup tape with a value selected from the group consisting of SHA-256, HMAC hash value, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether the backup tape is capable of being used to restore the data set according to whether the value changed.