METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROVIDING SECURITY AND RESPONSIVENESS IN CLOUD BASED DATA STORAGE AND APPLICATION EXECUTION

• US 20170302678A1
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Borlick, Matthew G., Gupta, Lokesh M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,154,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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]

Abstract

A storage controller that is coupled to a plurality of storage clouds is maintained. The storage controller determines security requirements for performing a selected operation in the plurality of storage cloud. A subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to satisfy the security requirements are determined. A determination is made as to which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation. The selected operation is performed in the determined storage cloud that is most responsive.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a storage controller coupled to a plurality of storage clouds;

determining, by the storage controller, security requirements for performing a selected operation in the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to satisfy the security requirements;

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation; and

performing the selected operation in the determined storage cloud that is most responsive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected operation comprises storing a dataset.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected operation further comprises executing an application.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a security level indicator that indicates a level of security certification of each of the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a minimum level of security certification required to satisfy the security requirements for performing the selected operation; and

determining from the security level indicator the subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to provide the minimum level of security certification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the level of security certification comprises Evaluation Assurance Levels (EAL) ranging from 1 to 7 in a Common Criteria standard.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a responsiveness indicator that indicates a degree of responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds based on historical statistics collected on responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds for responding to the storage controller; and

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation from the degree of responsiveness indicated in the responsiveness indicator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage controller is a dual server based storage controller and the selected operation is performed by a server of the dual server based storage controller, wherein the responsiveness indicator indicates a degree of responsiveness for storing datasets in the plurality of storage clouds and for input/output (I/O) operations with stored datasets in the plurality of storage clouds, and a degree of responsiveness for executing operations in the plurality of storage clouds.

8. A system coupled to a plurality of storage clouds, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising;

determining security requirements for performing a selected operation in the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to satisfy the security requirements;

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation; and

performing the selected operation in the determined storage cloud that is most responsive.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected operation comprises storing a dataset.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the selected operation further comprises executing an application.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is a storage controller, the operations further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a security level indicator that indicates a level of security certification of each of the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a minimum level of security certification required to satisfy the security requirements for performing the selected operation; and

determining from the security level indicator the subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to provide the minimum level of security certification.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the level of security certification comprises Evaluation Assurance Levels (EAL) ranging from 1 to 7 in a Common Criteria standard.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is a storage controller, the operations further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a responsiveness indicator that indicates a degree of responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds based on historical statistics collected on responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds for responding to the storage controller; and

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation from the degree of responsiveness indicated in the responsiveness indicator.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage controller is a dual server based storage controller and the selected operation is performed by a server of the dual server based storage controller, wherein the responsiveness indicator indicates a degree of responsiveness for storing datasets in the plurality of storage clouds and for input/output (I/O) operations with stored datasets in the plurality of storage clouds, and a degree of responsiveness for executing operations in the plurality of storage clouds.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining a storage controller coupled to a plurality of storage clouds;

determining, by the storage controller, security requirements for performing a selected operation in the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to satisfy the security requirements;

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation; and

performing the selected operation in the determined storage cloud that is most responsive.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the selected operation comprises storing a dataset.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the selected operation further comprises executing an application.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a security level indicator that indicates a level of security certification of each of the plurality of storage clouds;

determining a minimum level of security certification required to satisfy the security requirements for performing the selected operation; and

determining from the security level indicator the subset of storage clouds of the plurality of storage clouds that are able to provide the minimum level of security certification.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the level of security certification comprises Evaluation Assurance Levels (EAL) ranging from 1 to 7 in a Common Criteria standard.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

maintaining, in the storage controller, a responsiveness indicator that indicates a degree of responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds based on historical statistics collected on responsiveness of each of the plurality of storage clouds for responding to the storage controller; and

determining which storage cloud of the subset of storage clouds is most responsive for performing the selected operation from the degree of responsiveness indicated in the responsiveness indicator.