MANAGING CONNECTIONS IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A system for managing connections in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes at least one client computing device storing data, the system comprising:
- an authentication manager;
a storage device; and
at least one secondary storage computing device configured to receive a request from the client computing device to store the data on the storage device, wherein the secondary storage computing device includes;
a blacklist that includes one or more entries, wherein the entries are configured to include an identifier of a computing device and, optionally, a timestamp indicating a time at which the secondary storage computing device received a connection request from the identified computing device;
a connection manager component configured to;
receive at a first time from the client computing device a connection request, wherein the connection request includes a identifier identifying the client computing device;
based upon the identifier of the client computing device or the combination of the identifier of the client computing device and the first time, determine from the blacklist whether the connection request from the client computing device should be refused;
refuse the connection request from the client computing device if the connection request from the client computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist;
if the connection request from the client computing device should not be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist, request that the authentication manager perform at least one of authenticating the client computing device and determining whether the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device;
receive a response from the authorization manager that indicates at least one of whether the client computing device is authenticated and whether the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device;
if the response from the authorization manager indicates that the client computing device is either not authenticated or not authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device, refuse the connection request from the client computing device; and
if the response from the authorization manager indicates that the client computing device is authenticated and if the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device, allow the client computing device to connect to the secondary storage computing device,wherein the secondary storage computing device receives the data and stores the data on the storage device upon the connection manager component allowing the client computing device to connect to the secondary storage computing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described in detail herein are systems and methods for managing connections in a data storage system. For example, the systems and methods may be used to manage connections between two or more computing devices for purposes of performing storage operations on the data of one of the computing devices. The data storage system includes at least two computing devices. A first computing device includes an unauthorized connection data structure and a connection manager component. The connection manager component receives a connection request from a second computing device. If the second computing device is not identified on the unauthorized connection data structure, the connection manager component can request that an authentication manager authenticate the second computing device and/or determine whether the second computing device is properly authorized. If so, the connection manager component can allow the second computing device to connect to the first computing device.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for managing connections in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes at least one client computing device storing data, the system comprising:
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an authentication manager; a storage device; and at least one secondary storage computing device configured to receive a request from the client computing device to store the data on the storage device, wherein the secondary storage computing device includes; a blacklist that includes one or more entries, wherein the entries are configured to include an identifier of a computing device and, optionally, a timestamp indicating a time at which the secondary storage computing device received a connection request from the identified computing device; a connection manager component configured to; receive at a first time from the client computing device a connection request, wherein the connection request includes a identifier identifying the client computing device; based upon the identifier of the client computing device or the combination of the identifier of the client computing device and the first time, determine from the blacklist whether the connection request from the client computing device should be refused; refuse the connection request from the client computing device if the connection request from the client computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist; if the connection request from the client computing device should not be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist, request that the authentication manager perform at least one of authenticating the client computing device and determining whether the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device; receive a response from the authorization manager that indicates at least one of whether the client computing device is authenticated and whether the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device; if the response from the authorization manager indicates that the client computing device is either not authenticated or not authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device, refuse the connection request from the client computing device; and if the response from the authorization manager indicates that the client computing device is authenticated and if the client computing device is authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device, allow the client computing device to connect to the secondary storage computing device, wherein the secondary storage computing device receives the data and stores the data on the storage device upon the connection manager component allowing the client computing device to connect to the secondary storage computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of managing connections in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes at least two computing devices, the method comprising:
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receiving at a first time at a local computing device a connection request from a remote computing device, wherein the connection request includes an identifier that identifies the remote computing device; accessing an unauthorized connection data structure, wherein the unauthorized connection data structure includes one or more entries, wherein the entries are configured to include an identifier of a computing device and, optionally, a timestamp indicating a time at which the local computing device received a connection request from the identified computing device; based upon the identifier of the remote computing device or the combination of the identifier of the remote computing device and the first time, determining from the unauthorized connection data structure whether the connection request from the remote computing device should be refused; if the connection request from the remote computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the unauthorized connection data structure, then refusing the connection request from the remote computing device; if the connection request from the remote computing device should not be refused, then determining whether the remote computing device is authorized to connect to the local computing device; if the remote computing device is authorized, then allowing the remote computing device to connect to the local computing device; and if the remote computing device is not authorized, then refusing the connection request from the remote computing device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method for managing connections in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes at least two computing devices, the method comprising:
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receiving at a first time at a first computing device a connection request from a second computing device, wherein the connection request includes an identifier that identifies the second computing device; accessing an unauthorized connection data structure, wherein the unauthorized connection data structure includes zero or more entries, the entries configured to include an identifier of a computing device and a timestamp indicating a time at which the first computing device received a connection request from the identified computing device; based upon the combination of the identifier of the second computing device and the first time, determining from the unauthorized connection data structure whether the connection request from the second computing device should be refused; if the connection request from the second computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the unauthorized connection data structure, then refusing the connection request from the second computing device; if the connection request from the second computing device should not be refused, then determining whether the second computing device is authorized to connect to the first computing device; if the second computing device is authorized, then allowing the second computing device to connect to the first computing device; and if the second computing device is not authorized, then refusing the connection request from the second computing device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A computing system for managing connection requests in a data storage system, the computing system comprising:
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means for receiving a connection request from a computing device for purposes of performing a data storage operation on data stored by the computing device; means for determining an identifier of the computing device; means for storing first information identifying computing devices to which connection requests should be refused; means for determining whether the connection request from the computing device should be refused, wherein the means for determining determines whether the connection request should be refused based at least in part upon the determined identifier and the stored first information; means for refusing the connection request, wherein the means for refusing the connection request refuses the connection request if the means for determining determines that the connection request should be refused; means for allowing the connection request, wherein the means for allowing the connection request allows the connection request if the means for determining determines that the connection request should be allowed; and means for performing the data storage operation on data stored by the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification