Importing and exporting partially encrypted configuration data

• US 6,904,415 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David K. Poole, James E. Krahn, Jody L. Terrill
• Original Assignee: David K. Poole, James E. Krahn, Jody L. Terrill
• Inventors: Poole, David K., Terrill, Jody L., Krahn, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERR, CRISTINA O
• Application Number:
  US09/876,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/1, 705/51, 705/52, 705/53, 705/54, 705/55, 705/56, 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 707/204, 707/10, 713/151, 713/155, 700/79
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself

Abstract

An apparatus for importing and exporting computer based configuration data to and from text based files in which part of the data is encrypted for confidentiality. The apparatus allows the resulting text file to be selectively edited prior to an import, providing for flexibility on behalf of system administrators without compromising the security of encrypted data.

Claims

1. A configuration export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to export configuration data from a configuration variable table to a persistent configuration text file, the method comprising:

initiating an export operation;

polling the system administrator for the data password;

retrieving each configuration variable from the configuration variable table;

encrypting each private configuration variable retrieved;

encrypting the data password; and

writing the encrypted data password and each configuration variable to the persistent configuration text file.

2. A configuration import method for enabling a system administrator having a data password to import configuration data from a persistent configuration text file to a configuration variable table, the persistent configuration text file having an encrypted data password and configuration variables denoted as public or private, the method comprising:

polling the system administrator for the name of the persistent configuration text file and the data password;

comparing the data password to the encrypted data password to determine if the password is authentic;

decrypting the private configuration variable if the data password is authentic; and

updating each configuration variable with each public and decrypted private configuration variable from the persistent configuration text file if the data password is authentic or updating each configuration variable with only each public configuration variable from the persistent configuration text file if the data password is not authentic.

3. A configuration export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to export configuration data to a persistent configuration text file, the method comprising:

deriving an encryption key from the data password;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

deriving the textual value of each configuration variable denoted a public variable from the memory value of the public configuration variable;

encrypting the textual value of each configuration variable denoted a private variable using the encryption key;

hashing the data password into a textual hashed digest;

writing the textual hashed digest to the persistent configuration text file; and

for each configuration variable, writing the textual identifier and the textual value to the persistent configuration text file, and textually associating the memory identifier and the textual value in the persistent configuration text file.

4. A configuration import method enabling a system administrator having a data password to import configuration data from a persistent configuration text file, the persistent configuration text file having a textual hashed digest and textual configuration variables, each textual configuration variable being denoted as public or private and having a textual identifier and a textual value, the method comprising:

determining if the data password is authenticate;

retrieving textual configuration variables from the persistent configuration text file;

deriving a decryption key from the data password;

decrypting the textual value of each private textual configuration variable retrieved using the decryption key;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

for each textual configuration variable retrieved, deriving the memory value from the textual value of the textual configuration variable and updating the corresponding public and private configuration variables if the data password is authentic or updating only the public configuration variables if the data password is not authentic.

5. A configuration import/export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to import and export configuration data to and from a persistent configuration text file having a textual hashed digest and textual configuration variables, each textual configuration variable further comprising a textual identifier and a textual value, the method comprising:

selecting either an import or an export operation;

during an import operation, determining if the data password is authentic and retrieving textual configuration variables from the persistent configuration text file;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

deriving an encryption/decryption key from the data password;

during an export operation, encrypting the textual value of each private configuration variable or, during an import operation, decrypting the textual value of each private configuration variable during an import operation;

during an export operation, for each configuration variable, deriving the textual value from the memory value of the configuration variable or, during an import operation, deriving the memory value from the textual value of the configuration variable and updating the corresponding values of the configuration variable; and

during an export operation, receiving the data password and a file name of the persistent configuration text file, hashing the data password into a textual hashed digest, writing the textual hashed digest to the persistent configuration text file, and for each configuration variable, receiving the textual identifier and the textual value, writing the textual identifier and the textual value to the persistent configuration text file, and textually associating the memory identifier and the textual value in the persistent configuration text file.

6. A computer program product having computer readable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a configuration export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to export configuration data from a configuration variable table to a persistent configuration text file, the method comprising:

initiating an export operation;

polling the system administrator for the data password;

retrieving each configuration variable from the configuration variable table;

encrypting each private configuration variable retrieved;

encrypting the data password; and

writing the encrypted data password and each configuration variable to the persistent configuration text file.

7. A computer program product having computer readable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a configuration import method for enabling a system administrator having a data password to import configuration data from a persistent configuration text file to a configuration variable table, the persistent configuration text file having an encrypted data password and configuration variables denoted as public or private, the method comprising:

polling the system administrator for the name of the persistent configuration text file and the data password;

comparing the data password to the encrypted data password to determine if the password is authentic;

decrypting the private configuration variable if the data password is authentic; and

updating each configuration variable with each public and decrypted private configuration variable from the persistent configuration text file if the data password is authentic or updating each configuration variable with only each public configuration variable from the persistent configuration text file if the data password is not authentic.

8. A computer program product having computer readable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a configuration export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to export configuration data to a persistent configuration text file, the method comprising:

deriving an encryption key from the data password;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

deriving the textual value of each configuration variable denoted a public variable from the memory value of the public configuration variable;

encrypting the textual value of each configuration variable denoted a private variable using the encryption key;

hashing the data password into a textual hashed digest;

writing the textual hashed digest to the persistent configuration text file; and

for each configuration variable, writing the textual identifier and the textual value to the persistent configuration text file, and textually associating the memory identifier and the textual value in the persistent configuration text file.

9. A computer program product having computer readable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a configuration import method enabling a system administrator having a data password to import configuration data from a persistent configuration text file, the persistent configuration text file having a textual hashed digest and textual configuration variables, each textual configuration variable being denoted as public or private and having a textual identifier and a textual value, the method comprising:

determining if the data password is authenticate;

retrieving textual configuration variables from the persistent configuration text file;

deriving a decryption key from the data password;

decrypting the textual value of each private textual configuration variable retrieved using the decryption key;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

for each textual configuration variable retrieved, deriving the memory value from the textual value of the textual configuration variable and updating the corresponding public and private configuration variables if the data password is authentic or updating only the public configuration variables if the data password is not authentic.

10. A computer program product having computer readable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a configuration import/export method enabling a system administrator having a data password to import and export configuration data to and from a persistent configuration text file having a textual hashed digest and textual configuration variables, each textual configuration variable further comprising a textual identifier and a textual value, the method comprising:

selecting either an import or an export operation;

during an import operation, determining if the data password is authentic and retrieving textual configuration variables from the persistent configuration text file;

defining a plurality of configuration variables with a memory identifier, a memory value, a textual identifier, and a textual value;

denoting each configuration variable as either a private variable or a public variable;

deriving an encryption/decryption key from the data password;

during an export operation, encrypting the textual value of each private configuration variable or, during an import operation, decrypting the textual value of each private configuration variable during an import operation;

during an export operation, for each configuration variable, deriving the textual value from the memory value of the configuration variable or, during an import operation, deriving the memory value from the textual value of the configuration variable and updating the corresponding values of the configuration variable; and

during an export operation, receiving the data password and a file name of the persistent configuration text file, hashing the data password into a textual hashed digest, writing the textual hashed digest to the persistent configuration text file, and for each configuration variable, receiving the textual identifier and the textual value, writing the textual identifier and the textual value to the persistent configuration text file, and textually associating the memory identifier and the textual value in the persistent configuration text file.