METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELETING DATA

• US 20120117384A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HIRSCH, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/174 Redundancy elimination performed by the file system management of the data involved in backup or backup restore using de-duplication of the data G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• 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 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, and computer program products for deleting data in a computing environment are provided. A computer system having at least first and second documents, a plurality of decryption keys, and a plurality of data segments stored therein is provided. Each of the plurality of data segments is decryptable by a selected one of the decryption keys. The decryption keys include a first set of decryption keys associated with the first document and not associated with the second document, a second set of decryption keys associated with the second document and not associated with the first document, and a third set of decryption keys associated with the first document and the second document. The first document is deleted, and in response, the first set of decryption keys is rendered unusable, and the second set of decryption keys and the third set of decryption keys are not rendered unusable.

Claims

1. A method for deleting data in a computing environment comprising:

providing a computer system having at least a first document, a second document, a plurality of decryption keys, and a plurality of data segments stored therein, each of the plurality of data segments being decryptable by a selected one of the plurality of decryption keys, wherein the plurality of decryption keys comprises

a first set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and not associated with the second document,

a second set of decryption keys, each being associated with the second document and not associated with the first document; and

a third set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and the second document;

deleting the first document; and

in response to the deleting of the first document, rendering the first set of decryption keys unusable and not rendering the second set of decryption keys and the third set of decryption keys unusable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system further has a plurality of data segments stored thereon, the plurality of data segments comprising

a first set of data segments associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys and not associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys;

a second set of data segments associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys and not associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys; and

a third set of data segments associated with the first document, the first set of decryption keys, the second document, and the second set of decryption keys.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising in response to the deleting of the first document, rendering the first set of data segments unusable and not rendering the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises overwriting the first set of decryption keys.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises deleting the first set of decryption keys.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first document and the second document each comprise a table of contents and the plurality of decryption keys are stored within the table of contents of at least one of the first document and the second document.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second documents each comprise a table of contents, and each of the table of contents further refers to a logical-to-physical address map for each of the plurality of data segments that are associated with the respective documents, wherein the decryption key of each data segment is stored within the logical-to-physical address map.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising in response to the deleting of the first document, rendering the first set of data segments unusable and not rendering the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein rendering a data segment unusable comprises irretrievably destroying the associated decryption key in the logical-to-physical address map.

10. A computer system comprising:

at least one computer-readable medium having at least a first document, a second document, a plurality of decryption keys, and a plurality of data segments stored thereon, each of the plurality data segments being decryptable by a selected one of the plurality of decryption keys, wherein the plurality of decryption keys comprises

a first set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and not associated with the second document, and

a second set of decryption keys, each being associated with the second document and not associated with the first document; and

a third set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and the second document; and

at least one processor in operable communication with the at least one computer-readable medium, the at least one processor being adapted to;

delete the first document; and

in response to the deleting of the first document, render the first set of decryption keys unusable and not render the second set of decryption keys and the third set of decryption keys unusable.

11. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer-readable medium further has a plurality of data segments stored thereon, the plurality of data segments comprising

a first set of data segments associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys and not associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys;

a second set of data segments associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys and not associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys; and

a third set of data segments associated with the first document, the first set of decryption keys, the second document, and the second set of decryption keys.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further adapted to, in response to the deleting of the first document, render the first set of data segments unusable and not render the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises overwriting the first set of decryption keys.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises deleting the first set of decryption keys.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first and second documents each comprise a table of contents, and each of the tables of contents further refers to a logical-to-physical address map for each of the plurality of data segments that are associated with the respective documents, wherein the decryption key of each data segment is stored within the logical-to-physical address map.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further adapted to, in response to the deleting of the first document, render the first set of data segments unusable and not rendering the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein rendering a data segment unusable comprises irretrievably destroying the associated decryption key in the logical-to-physical address map.

18. A computer program product for deleting data in a computing environment, the computing environment comprising at least one computer-readable medium having a first document, a second document, a plurality of decryption keys, and a plurality of data segments stored thereon, each of the plurality data segments being decryptable by a selected one of the plurality of decryption keys, the plurality of decryption keys comprising a first set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and not associated with the second document, a second set of decryption keys, each being associated with the second document and not associated with the first document, and a third set of decryption keys, each being associated with the first document and the second document, the computer-readable storage medium further having computer-readable program code portions stored thereon, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for deleting the first document; and

a second executable portion for, in response to the deleting of the first document, rendering the first set of decryption keys unusable and not rendering the second set of decryption keys and the third set of decryption keys unusable.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer system further has a plurality of data segments stored thereon, the plurality of data segments comprising

a first set of data segments associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys and not associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys;

a second set of data segments associated with the second document and the second set of decryption keys and not associated with the first document and the first set of decryption keys; and

a third set of data segments associated with the first document, the first set of decryption keys, the second document, and the second set of decryption keys.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising a third executable portion for, in response to the deleting of the first document, rendering the first set of data segments unusable and not rendering the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises overwriting the first set of decryption keys.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the rendering of the first set of decryption keys unusable comprises deleting the first set of decryption keys.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first and second documents each comprise a table of contents, and each of the tables of contents further refers to a logical-to-physical address map for each of the plurality of data segments that are associated with the respective documents, wherein the decryption key of each data segment is stored within the logical-to-physical address map.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further adapted to, in response to the deleting of the first document, render the first set of data segments unusable and not rendering the second set of data segments and the third set of data segments unusable.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein rendering a data segment unusable comprises irretrievably destroying the associated decryption key in the logical-to-physical address map.