System and Method for Electronically Storing Essential Data

• US 20120310901A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John E.G. Matze
• Original Assignee: John E.G. Matze
• Inventors: Matze, John E. G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/692
• 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 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for storing electronic data blocks at a storage facility uses a public database and a select database. Hash for each data block is evaluated at the facility to determine whether the data block is already stored at the facility. New data blocks are assigned a new address in the select database when encrypted with a customer key. Otherwise, they are assigned a new address in the public database by default. Duplicate data blocks are assigned a previously established address for the data block in either the public or select database. All addresses are then sent to the customer location for file integrity and only the content of new data blocks need to be sent to the storage facility (i.e. no need for duplicates).

Claims

1. A method for electronically storing essential data from an electronic data file which comprises the steps of:

creating at least one data block at a customer location;

generating hash for the data block;

transferring the hash to a storage facility;

using the hash at the storage facility to determine whether the data block is new;

establishing an address for a new data block at the storage facility; and

instructing the customer location to send the new data block to the storage facility for storage.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

compressing the new data block at the customer location;

encrypting the new data block; and

sending the encrypted new data block to the storage facility for storage.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the encrypting step is accomplished using an encryption key selected from a group comprising a service key provided by the storage facility and a customer key constructed at the customer location.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the customer key is unknown to the storage facility.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

assigning a data block with a previously established address at the storage facility when the data block is already well-known at the established address;

assigning a data block a new address in a “

select”

database per instructions from the customer location when the data block is new; and

assigning a data block a new address in a “

public”

database for default.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of providing the customer location with an address for each data block.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of returning the data block from the storage facility to the customer location, on demand from the customer location.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

scanning hashes in the “

public”

database to identify a compliant data block in response to a demand from the customer location;

scanning hashes in the “

select”

database to identify a compliant data block in response to a demand from the customer location; and

sending the compliant data block to the customer location to accomplish the returning step.

9. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

comparing the hash of a new data block in the public database with the hashes of data blocks in the select database to identify a duplicate data block in the select database; and

discarding any duplicate data block from the select database.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic data file includes a plurality of data blocks.

11. A method for storing electronic data blocks at a storage facility which comprises the steps of:

establishing a public database and a select database for storing the electronic data blocks;

receiving a hash from a customer location pertaining to a specific data block;

determining whether the hash is for a well-known data block already stored at an established address in the storage facility;

providing a new address in the select database for a new data block when instructed by the customer location, and a new address in the public database by default;

sending the new address of the data block at the storage facility to the customer location for use by the customer location as an established address when subsequently retrieving the data block;

periodically comparing the hash of a new data block in the public database with the hashes of data blocks in the select database to identify a duplicate data block in the select database; and

discarding any duplicate data block from the select database.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of instructing the customer location to send new data blocks to the storage facility for storage.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of placing a new data block at a new address in the select database when the new data block is encrypted with a customer key.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the customer key is constructed at the customer location and is unknown at the storage facility.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of placing a new data block at a new address in the public database when the new data block is encrypted with a service key provided by the storage facility.

16. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the data blocks are created at the customer location in accordance with the steps of:

breaking an electronic data file into a plurality of data blocks;

hashing each data block;

compressing each data block; and

encrypting each data block.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the encrypting step further comprises the steps of:

selecting an encryption key selected from a group comprising a service key provided by the storage facility and a customer key constructed by the customer location; and

using a customer key for placement of a new data block in the select database.

18. An electronic storage facility for storing essential data from an electronic file, wherein the electronic file is broken into data blocks and each data block has a hash, the storage facility comprising:

a scanner for receiving the hash from the customer location to determine whether the hash is for an already well-known data block at the storage facility having a previously established address;

a select database having a plurality of addresses for storing new data blocks at an address in the select database when appropriately instructed by the customer location;

a public database having a plurality of addresses for storing all well-known data blocks, and new data blocks when defaulted from the select database; and

a directory for informing the customer location of the address of each data block and for instructing the customer location to send only new data blocks for storage at the storage facility.

19. An electronic storage facility as recited in claim 18 wherein each data block can be encrypted with a key selected from a group comprising a service key provided by the storage facility and a customer key constructed by the customer location.

20. An electronic storage facility as recited in claim 18 further comprising a transceiver for communicating with the customer location over the internet.