Natural action heuristics for management of network devices

• US 20100266131A1
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Cilfone, Bart, Kumar, Sanjaya, Hoffman, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/285
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1042 using topology management mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method of managing devices in a dispersed data storage network is disclosed. A device list is maintained including entries for every device in the dispersed data storage network. Each entry lists a public key, a network address, and hardware identifier for the corresponding device. On startup each device sends a request to join the network. The request includes the device'"'"'s public key, network address, and hardware identifier. The request is compared with the device list, and, based on the comparison, and, in some cases, administrator action, the request is granted or denied.

Claims

1. A method of adding a device to a dispersed data storage network, said method operating on a manager computer and comprising the steps of:

i) receiving a device approval request from a device not associated with said dispersed data storage network, said device approval request including a public key, a network address, and a hardware identifier;

ii) examining a device list accessible by said manager, said device list comprised of a plurality of device entries, each of said device entries identifying a public key, a network address, and a hardware identifier, each of said device entries corresponding to a device included within said dispersed data storage network;

iii) determining that no device entry included in said device list matches the public key, network address, or hardware identifier included in said received device approval request;

iv) creating a new device entry including said public key, network address and hardware identifier identified by said received device approval request; and

v) adding said new device entry to said device list.

2. A manager computer for managing the addition of a device to a dispersed data storage network, said manager computer comprising:

i) a network port adapted to received a device approval request from a device not associated with said dispersed data storage network, said device approval request including a public key, a network address, and a hardware identifier;

ii) a storage device for storing a device list, said device list comprised of a plurality of device entries, each of said device entries identifying a public key, a network address, and a hardware identifier, each of said device entries corresponding to a device included within said dispersed data storage network;

iii) a processor coupled to said network port and said storage device, said processor (1) examining said device list, (2) determining that no device entry included in said device list matches the public key, network address, or hardware identifier included in said received device approval request, (3) creating a new device entry including said public key, network address and hardware identifier identified by said received approval request, and (4) adding said new device entry to said device list.