STORAGE UNIFICATION WITH SECURITY MANAGEMENT

• US 20200134218A1
• Filed: 10/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: LIU, SU, FANG, WU SONG
• Granted Patent: US 11,017,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a respective indication of each of two or more clouds. The two or more clouds are added to a user account. A first file is received for storage in the user account. The first file is split into a plurality of data blocks. The plurality of data blocks of the first file are distributed across the two or more clouds. An indication of a respective location of each data block of the first file is saved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a respective indication of each of two or more clouds;

adding the two or more clouds to a user account;

receiving a first file for storage in the user account;

splitting the first file into a plurality of data blocks;

distributing the plurality of data blocks of the first file across the two or more clouds; and

saving an indication of a respective location of each data block of the first file.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the first file;

determining the respective location of each data block of the first file;

retrieving each data block of the first file from the respective location in the two or more clouds;

aggregating the plurality of data blocks to recreate the first file; and

providing access to the recreated first file.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that shuffling criteria applicable to the first file are met;

shuffling the plurality of data blocks of the first file among the two or more clouds, responsive to the shuffling criteria being met.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning to the first file a splitting algorithm defining how to split the first file into the plurality of data blocks; and

assigning to the first file a shuffling algorithm defining when to shuffle the plurality of blocks among the two or more clouds;

wherein at least one of the shuffling algorithm and the splitting algorithm is selected based on a security level of the first file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning an encryption algorithm to the first file; and

assigning to the first file an allocation algorithm defining how to distribute the plurality of data blocks among the two or more clouds.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the two or more clouds to at least one of a single drive and a single folder.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of files for storage in the user account;

for each file in the plurality of files;

splitting the file into a respective plurality of data blocks; and

distributing the respective plurality of data blocks across the two or more clouds;

maintaining a file management tree describing a virtualized hierarchy of the plurality of files and the first file; and

enabling a user to navigate the file management tree to select the first file; and

retrieving the first file from the two or more clouds, responsive to the selection of the first file.

8. A system comprising:

a memory having computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions comprising;

receiving a respective indication of each of two or more clouds;

adding the two or more clouds to a user account;

receiving a first file for storage in the user account;

splitting the first file into a plurality of data blocks;

distributing the plurality of data blocks of the first file across the two or more clouds; and

saving an indication of a respective location of each data block of the first file.

9. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

receiving a request to access the first file;

determining the respective location of each data block of the first file;

retrieving each data block of the first file from the respective location in the two or more clouds;

aggregating the plurality of data blocks to recreate the first file; and

providing access to the recreated first file.

10. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

determining that shuffling criteria applicable to the first file are met;

shuffling the plurality of data blocks of the first file among the two or more clouds, responsive to the shuffling criteria being met.

11. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

assigning to the first file a splitting algorithm defining how to split the first file into the plurality of data blocks; and

assigning to the first file a shuffling algorithm defining when to shuffle the plurality of blocks among the two or more clouds;

wherein at least one of the shuffling algorithm and the splitting algorithm is selected based on a security level of the first file.

12. The system of claim 11, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

assigning an encryption algorithm to the first file; and

assigning to the first file an allocation algorithm defining how to distribute the plurality of data blocks among the two or more clouds.

13. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising mapping the two or more clouds to at least one of a single drive and a single folder.

14. The system of claim 13, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

receiving a plurality of files for storage in the user account;

for each file in the plurality of files;

splitting the file into a respective plurality of data blocks; and

distributing the respective plurality of data blocks across the two or more clouds;

maintaining a file management tree describing a virtualized hierarchy of the plurality of files and the first file; and

enabling a user to navigate the file management tree to select the first file; and

retrieving the first file from the two or more clouds, responsive to the selection of the first file.

15. A computer-program product for storage management, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a respective indication of each of two or more clouds;

adding the two or more clouds to a user account;

receiving a first file for storage in the user account;

splitting the first file into a plurality of data blocks;

distributing the plurality of data blocks of the first file across the two or more clouds; and

saving an indication of a respective location of each data block of the first file.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving a request to access the first file;

determining the respective location of each data block of the first file;

retrieving each data block of the first file from the respective location in the two or more clouds;

aggregating the plurality of data blocks to recreate the first file; and

providing access to the recreated first file.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining that shuffling criteria applicable to the first file are met;

shuffling the plurality of data blocks of the first file among the two or more clouds, responsive to the shuffling criteria being met.

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

assigning to the first file a splitting algorithm defining how to split the first file into the plurality of data blocks; and

assigning to the first file a shuffling algorithm defining when to shuffle the plurality of blocks among the two or more clouds;

wherein at least one of the shuffling algorithm and the splitting algorithm is selected based on a security level of the first file.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, the method further comprising:

assigning an encryption algorithm to the first file; and

assigning to the first file an allocation algorithm defining how to distribute the plurality of data blocks among the two or more clouds.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, the method further comprising mapping the two or more clouds to at least one of a single drive and a single folder.

21. The computer-program product of claim 20, the method further comprising:

receiving a plurality of files for storage in the user account;

for each file in the plurality of files;

splitting the file into a respective plurality of data blocks; and

distributing the respective plurality of data blocks across the two or more clouds;

maintaining a file management tree describing a virtualized hierarchy of the plurality of files and the first file; and

enabling a user to navigate the file management tree to select the first file; and

retrieving the first file from the two or more clouds, responsive to the selection of the first file.

22. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first file for storage;

assigning to the first file a first set of security attributes comprising at least one of a first encryption algorithm, a first splitting algorithm, a first allocation algorithm, and a first shuffling algorithm;

receiving a second file for storage;

assigning to the second file a second set of security attributes comprising at least one of a second encryption algorithm, a second splitting algorithm, a second allocation algorithm, and a second shuffling algorithm;

wherein the second set of security attributes differ from the first set of security attributes;

distributing the first file across two or more clouds according to the first set of security attributes;

distributing the second file across the two or more clouds according to the second set of security attributes; and

presenting the two or more clouds as at least one of a single drive and a single folder.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

modifying the first set of security attributes to result in a modified set of security attributes;

retrieving the first file from the two or more clouds, responsive to the modified set of security attributes; and

redistributing the first file across the two or more clouds according to the modified set of security attributes.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting a security risk to the first file;

wherein the modifying the first set of security attributes is performed automatically responsive to the security risk.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the distributing the first file across the two or more clouds according to the first set of security attributes comprises:

splitting the first file into a plurality of data blocks according to the first set of security attributes; and

distributing the plurality of data blocks across the two or more clouds according to the first set of security attributed.