Method and system for providing restricted access to a storage medium

• US 6,654,864 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KOM Software Inc.
• Original Assignee: KOM Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaath, Kamel, Gossage, Jonathan, Walker, Tony, Lulu, Yasser, Yaqun, Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US10/032,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 711/163, 707/9, 713/200
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0682 Tape device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/309 Table of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 on a tape [TTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A method of restricting file access is disclosed wherein a set of file write access commands are determined from data stored within a storage medium. The set of file write access commands are for the entire storage medium. Any matching file write access command provided to the file system for that storage medium results in an error message. Other file write access commands are, however, passed onto a device driver for the storage medium and are implemented. In this way commands such as file delete and file overwrite can be disabled for an entire storage medium.

Claims

1. A method of restricting access by a computer to a logical storage medium other than a write once medium in communication with the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an indication of a data write access privilege for the entire logical storage medium, the data write access privilege indicative of a restriction to alteration of a same portion of each file stored on the logical storage medium; and

restricting file access to the logical storage medium in accordance with the indication while allowing access to free space portions of the same logical storage medium.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

writing further file data to the free space portions of the same logical storage medium; and

,

restricting file access to the further file data in accordance with the indication while allowing access to remaining free space portions of the same logical storage medium.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the indication of a data write access privilege is one of the following:

write access without delete, write access without rename;

write access without overwrite, and write access without changing file access privileges.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein storage medium is a removable storage medium.

5. A method of restricting access by a computer to a storage medium other than a write once medium in communication with the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an indication of a data write access privilege for the entire logical storage medium indicating a disabled operation relating to alteration of a portion of each file stored within the logical storage medium, the indication other than a read only indication; and

restricting file access to each file within the logical storage medium in accordance with the same indication while allowing access to free space portions of the same logical storage medium.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the indication comprises at least one of the following:

write access without delete, write access without rename;

write access without overwrite, and write access without changing file access privileges.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein logical storage medium is a single physical storage medium and wherein a single physical storage medium consists of a single logical storage medium.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein storage medium is a removable storage medium.

9. A method of restricting access by a computer to a storage medium other than a write once medium in communication with the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an indication of a data write access privilege for the entire logical storage medium indicating a disabled operation relating to alteration of data within the logical storage medium, the indication other than a read only indication, the disabled operations supported by the storage medium; and

restricting write access to data within the logical storage medium in accordance with the same indication while allowing access to free space portions of the same logical storage medium.