Method, system and computer program product for certifying a timestamp of a data processing system

• US 8,122,274 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hussain, Riaz Y., Achanta, Phani Gopal V., Levine, Frank Eliot
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US12/394,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 713/400, 713/500, 713/503, 726/3, 726 17- 19, 726/27
• US Class Current: 713/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments present a system, method, and computer program product for certifying a timestamp generated by a data processing system. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a request to certify a timestamp generated by a trusted data processing system, analyzing historical data related to a system time of the data processing system, and certifying the timestamp in response to determining that the historical data indicates a trustworthy system time of the data processing system when the timestamp was generated.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to certify a timestamp, the timestamp generated by a trusted data processing system;

responsive to the request, analyzing historical data related to a system time of the data processing system; and

certifying the timestamp in response to determining that the historical data indicates a trustworthy system time of the data processing system when the timestamp was generated and determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining that a drift range of a system time of the data processing system was within a criteria at the time the timestamp was generated.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurring subsequent to a time synchronization event of the data processing system to a trusted time.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the historical data comprises determining when a time synchronization event to a trusted time last occurred for the data processing system prior to the timestamp generation.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein analyzing the historical data comprises determining whether a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurred subsequent to the time synchronization event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the historical data comprises determining a maximum drift range of the system time for the data processing system relative to a trusted time.

7. A system comprising:

a data bus system;

memory coupled to the data bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the data bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to;

responsive to a request to certify a timestamp, the timestamp generated by a trusted data processing system, analyze historical data related to a system time of the data processing system; and

certify the timestamp in response to determining that the historical data indicates a trustworthy system time of the data processing system when the timestamp was generated and determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing unit further executes computer usable program code to certify the timestamp in response to determining that a drift range of a system time of the data processing system was within a criteria at the time the timestamp was generated.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing unit further executes computer usable program code to certify the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurring subsequent to a time synchronization event of the data processing system to a trusted time.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing unit further executes computer usable program code to determine when a time synchronization event to a trusted time last occurred for the data processing system prior to the timestamp generation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit further executes computer usable program code to determine whether a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurred subsequent to the time synchronization event.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing unit further executes computer usable program code to determine a maximum drift range for the system time of the data processing system relative to a trusted time.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable storage medium including computer usable program code executable by a computer for certifying a timestamp of a trusted data processing system, the computer program product comprising computer usable program code for;

responsive to a request to certify a timestamp, the timestamp generated by a trusted data processing system, analyzing historical data related to a system time of the data processing system; and

certifying the timestamp in response to determining that the historical data indicates a trustworthy system time of the data processing system when the timestamp was generated and determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable medium includes computer usable program code for certifying the timestamp in response to determining that a drift range of a system time of the data processing system was within a criteria at the time the timestamp was generated.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable medium includes computer usable program code for certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurring subsequent to a time synchronization event of the data processing system to a trusted time.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable medium includes computer usable program code for determining when a time synchronization event to a trusted time last occurred for the data processing system prior to the timestamp generation.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer usable medium includes computer usable program code for determining whether a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurred subsequent to the time synchronization event.

18. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving from a first data processing system a request to certify a timestamp generated by a second data processing system;

responsive to the request, analyzing historical data related to a system time of the second data processing system; and

certifying the timestamp in response to determining that the historical data indicates a trustworthy system time of the second data processing system when the timestamp was generated.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, responsive to the request, determining the second data processing system that generated the timestamp.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the second data processing system.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the second data processing system occurring subsequent to a time synchronization event of the second data processing system to a trusted time.

22. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to certify a timestamp, the timestamp generated by a data processing system;

responsive to the request, analyzing historical log data related to a system time of the data processing system; and

certifying the timestamp in response to determining that the historical log data contains a command entry indicating retrieval of a system time corresponding to a time the timestamp was generated.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising certifying the timestamp in response to determining an absence of a user driven change to the system time of the data processing system occurring subsequent to a time synchronization event of the data processing system to a trusted time.