SECURELY STORING DATA IN A DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK

• US 20140068791A1
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Resch, Jason K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,154,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1044 with specific ECC/EDC distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/142 Reconfiguring to eliminate the error group management mechanisms in a peer-to-peer network H04L67/1044
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/611 Specific encoding aspects, e.g. encoding by means of decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/616 Matrix operations, especially for generator matrices or check matrices, e.g. column or row permutations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• 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 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

A method to securely store a data file in a dispersed storage network (DSN) in a manner to increase difficulty in hacking the data file begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module encoding the data file into a plurality of data portions. The method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding a first data portion to produce a set of encoded data slices, generating a set of DSN addresses, and sending the set of encoded data slices to a first set of storage units using the set of DSN addresses. The method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding a second data portion to produce a second set of encoded data slices, generating a second set of DSN addresses, and sending the second set of encoded data slices to a second set of storage units using the second set of DSN addresses.

Claims

1. A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices to securely store a data file in a dispersed storage network (DSN) in a manner to increase difficulty in hacking the data file, the method comprises:

encoding the data file into a plurality of data portions, wherein a threshold number of the data portions are required to reconstruct the data file;

for a first data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assigning a first unique source name to the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the first data portion to produce one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the first data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating one or more sets of DSN addresses for the one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name;

identifying a first set of storage units of the DSN based on the one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the first set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

sending the one or more sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the one or more sets of DSN addresses; and

for a second data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assigning a second unique source name to the second data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the second data portion to produce a second one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the second data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the second one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating a second one or more sets of DSN addresses for the second one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name;

identifying a second set of storage units of the DSN based on the second one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the second set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the second one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

sending the second one or more sets of encoded data slices to the second set of storage units in accordance with the second one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein unauthorized acquisition of a DSN address of the one or more sets of DSN addresses yields substantially no information regarding a DSN address of the second one or more sets of DSN addresses.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

dividing the first data portion into a plurality of data segments;

for a first data segment of the plurality of data segments;

assigning the first unique source name to the first data segment;

dispersed storage error encoding the first data segment to produce a first set of encoded data slices of the one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generating a first set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses for the first set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name, wherein a DSN address of the first set of DSN addresses falls within the assigned address range of the storage unit of the first set of storage units; and

sending the first set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the first sets of DSN addresses; and

for a second data segment of the plurality of data segments;

assigning the first unique source name to the second data segment;

dispersed storage error encoding the second data segment to produce a second set of encoded data slices of the one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generating a second set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses for the second set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name, wherein a DSN address of the second set of DSN addresses falls within the assigned address range of the storage unit of the first set of storage units; and

sending the second set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the second sets of DSN addresses.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

for the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the first data portion to produce a first set of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the first data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices of the first set of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating a first set of DSN addresses for the first set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

sending the first set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the first set of DSN addresses; and

for the second data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the second data portion to produce a second set of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the second data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices of the second set of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating a second set of DSN addresses for the second set of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name; and

sending the second set of encoded data slices to the second set of storage units in accordance with the second set of DSN addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the data file comprises at least one of:

dividing the data file into the plurality of data portions;

encrypting the data file in accordance with a key to produce an encrypted data file and dividing the encrypted data file into the plurality of data portions;

encrypting the data file in accordance with the key to produce the encrypted data file, combining a representation of the key with encrypted data file to produce a combined data file, and dividing the combined data file into the plurality of data portions;

dispersed storage error encoding the data file to produce the plurality of data portions; and

performing a secret sharing function on the data file to produce the plurality of data portions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses comprises at least one of:

utilizing an addressing pinwheel to generate the set of DSN addresses based on the first unique source name;

performing a deterministic function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses;

performing a mathematical function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses; and

performing a logical function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

in a file directory, linking the first and second unique source names to a name of the data file.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

generating the first unique source name based on a name of the data file; and

generating the second unique source name based on the name of the data file.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

for the first data portion;

encoding the first data portion into a plurality of encoded data segments, wherein at least a threshold number of encoded data segments of the plurality of encoded data segments are required to reconstruct the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the plurality of encoded data segments to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

generating a plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

sending the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the plurality of sets of DSN addresses.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

for a third data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assigning a third unique source name to the third data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the third data portion to produce a third one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the third data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the third one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating a third one or more sets of DSN addresses for the third one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the third unique source name;

identifying a third set of storage units of the DSN based on the third one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the third set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the third one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

sending the third one or more sets of encoded data slices to the third set of storage units in accordance with the third one or more sets of DSN addresses.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

for a third data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assigning the first unique source name to the third data portion;

dispersed storage error encoding the third data portion to produce a third one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the third data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the third one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generating a third one or more sets of DSN addresses for the third one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

sending the third one or more sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the third one or more sets of DSN addresses.

11. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

an encoding module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to;

encode a data file into a plurality of data portions, wherein a threshold number of the data portions are required to reconstruct the data file;

a first data portion module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

for a first data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assign a first unique source name to the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the first data portion to produce one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the first data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate one or more sets of dispersed storage network (DSN) addresses for the one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name;

identifying a first set of storage units of the DSN based on the one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the first set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

send the one or more sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the one or more sets of DSN addresses; and

a second data portion module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

for a second data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assign a second unique source name to the second data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the second data portion to produce a second one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the second data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the second one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate a second one or more sets of DSN addresses for the second one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name;

identify a second set of storage units of the DSN based on the second one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the second set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the second one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

send the second one or more sets of encoded data slices to the second set of storage units in accordance with the second one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein unauthorized acquisition of a DSN address of the one or more sets of DSN addresses yields substantially no information regarding a DSN address of the second one or more sets of DSN addresses.

12. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

the first data portion module further functions to;

divide the first data portion into a plurality of data segments;

for a first data segment of the plurality of data segments;

assign the first unique source name to the first data segment;

dispersed storage error encode the first data segment to produce a first set of encoded data slices of the one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generate a first set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses for the first set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name, wherein a DSN address of the first set of DSN addresses falls within the assigned address range of the storage unit of the first set of storage units; and

send the first set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the first sets of DSN addresses; and

for a second data segment of the plurality of data segments;

assign the first unique source name to the second data segment;

dispersed storage error encode the second data segment to produce a second set of encoded data slices of the one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generate a second set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses for the second set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name, wherein a DSN address of the second set of DSN addresses falls within the assigned address range of the storage unit of the first set of storage units; and

send the second set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the second sets of DSN addresses.

13. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

the first data portion module further functions to;

for the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the first data portion to produce a first set of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the first data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices of the first set of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate a first set of DSN addresses for the first set of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

send the first set of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the first set of DSN addresses; and

the second data portion module further functions to;

for the second data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the second data portion to produce a second set of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the second data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices of the second set of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate a second set of DSN addresses for the second set of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name; and

sending the second set of encoded data slices to the second set of storage units in accordance with the second set of DSN addresses.

14. The DS module of claim 11, wherein the encoding module functions to encode the data file by at least one of:

dividing the data file into the plurality of data portions;

encrypting the data file in accordance with a key to produce an encrypted data file and dividing the encrypted data file into the plurality of data portions;

encrypting the data file in accordance with the key to produce the encrypted data file, combining a representation of the key with encrypted data file to produce a combined data file, and dividing the combined data file into the plurality of data portions;

dispersed storage error encoding the data file to produce the plurality of data portions; and

performing a secret sharing function on the data file to produce the plurality of data portions.

15. The DS module of claim 11, wherein the first data portion module functions to generate a set of DSN addresses of the one or more sets of DSN addresses by at least one of:

utilizing an addressing pinwheel to generate the set of DSN addresses based on the first unique source name;

performing a deterministic function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses;

performing a mathematical function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses; and

performing a logical function on the first unique source name to generate the set of DSN addresses.

16. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

the encoding module further functions to, in a file directory, link the first and second unique source names to a name of the data file.

17. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

the first data portion module functions to generate the first unique source name based on a name of the data file; and

the second data portion module functions to generate the second unique source name based on the name of the data file.

18. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

the first data portion module further functions to;

for the first data portion;

encode the first data portion into a plurality of encoded data segments, wherein at least a threshold number of encoded data segments of the plurality of encoded data segments are required to reconstruct the first data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the plurality of encoded data segments to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

generate a plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

send the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the plurality of sets of DSN addresses.

19. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

a third data portion module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

for a third data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assign a third unique source name to the third data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the third data portion to produce a third one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the third data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the third one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate a third one or more sets of DSN addresses for the third one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the third unique source name;

identify a third set of storage units of the DSN based on the third one or more sets of DSN addresses, wherein a storage unit of the third set of storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the third one of the one or more sets of DSN addresses falls; and

send the third one or more sets of encoded data slices to the third set of storage units in accordance with the third one or more sets of DSN addresses.

20. The DS module of claim 11 further comprises:

a third data portion module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

for a third data portion of the plurality of data portions;

assign the first unique source name to the third data portion;

dispersed storage error encode the third data portion to produce a third one or more sets of encoded data slices, wherein, to recover the third data portion, a threshold number of encoded data slices for each of the third one or more sets of encoded data slices are required to be retrieved;

generate a third one or more sets of DSN addresses for the third one or more sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name; and

send the third one or more sets of encoded data slices to the first set of storage units in accordance with the third one or more sets of DSN addresses.