Verification of dispersed storage network access control information

• US 8,560,855 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Resch, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabor, Amare F
• Application Number:
  US12/759,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 713/168, 726/27, 726/30
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1024 Identification of the type of error
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

In a dispersed storage network access control list information must be occasionally written out to system units across the network. A dispersed storage (DS) managing unit (18) combines (204) the access control list information with a clock stamp and hashes (206) that combined output. An encryptor (208) encrypts a security key (210) and the hash output to obtain a signature. A combiner (212) combines the signature and the output of combiner (204) and outputs to a publisher (214). Upon receipt of the output of the publisher (214) a dispersed storage unit (44) can reverse process and securely validate the access control list information provided by the publisher (214) to receive and store updated and valid access control list information. This processing is performed by the unit (44) using parsers (216), caches (218 and 228), hash operations (224), decryptors (222), comparators (226), logic (230), and key stores (220).

Claims

1. A method for securely publishing an access control list, the method comprises:

generating, by a dispersed storage (DS) managing unit of a dispersed storage network (DSN), an authentic and time-stamped access control list from the access control list, wherein the access control list provides a list of authorized accesses to the DSN,

wherein the generating the authentic and time-stamped access control list comprises;

generating time-stamp value;

combining the time-stamp value with the access control list to produce a time-stamped access control list;

generating a signature based on the time-stamped access control list and a private key of the DS managing unit; and

combining the signature with the time-stamped access control list to produce the authentic and time-stamped access control list;

identifying, by the DS managing unit, a plurality of dispersed storage (DS) units of the DSN to receive the access control list;

sending, by the DS managing unit using a one-way communication path, the authentic and time-stamped access control list and the identity of the plurality of DS units to a publisher unit; and

sending, by the publisher unit, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units using a plurality of one-way communication paths.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

identifying, by the DS managing unit, the publisher unit based on the identity of the plurality of DS units, wherein the publisher unit is affiliated with the plurality of DS units.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the authentic and time-stamped access control list comprises at least one of:

substantially concurrently sending the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units;

sequentially sending the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units;

sending, in response to a request, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units; and

sending, upon boot-up of at least one of the plurality of DS units, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving, by one of the plurality of DS units, the authentic and time-stamped access control list;

parsing, by the one of the plurality of DS units, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to produce a signature and a time-stamped access control list;

validating, by the one of the plurality of DS units, the signature based on a public key of the DS managing unit;

when the signature is validated, extracting, by the one of the plurality of DS units, a time-stamp value and the access control list from the time-stamped access control list; and

storing, by the one of the plurality of DS units, the access control list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control list comprises at least one of:

a list of users allowed to access the DSN;

a list of user transactions allowed on the DSN;

a list of users allowed to access one or more vaults of the DSN; and

a list of user transactions allowed on the one or more vaults of the DSN.

6. A dispersed storage network (DSN) comprising:

a dispersed storage (DS) managing unit operable to;

generate an authentic and time-stamped access control list from the access control list, wherein the access control list provides a list of authorized accesses to the DSN,

wherein the DS managing unit is further operable to generate the authentic and time-stamped access control list by;

generating time-stamp value;

combining the time-stamp value with the access control list to produce a time-stamped access control list;

generating a signature based on the time-stamped access control list and a private key of the DS managing unit; and

combining the signature with the time-stamped access control list to produce the authentic and time-stamped access control list;

identify a plurality of dispersed storage (DS) units of the DSN to receive the access control list;

send, using a one-way communication path, the authentic and time-stamped access control list and the identity of the plurality of DS units to a publisher unit; and

the publisher unit operable to send the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units using a plurality of one-way communication paths.

7. The DSN of claim 6, wherein the DS managing unit is further operable to:

identify the publisher unit based on the identity of the plurality of DS units, wherein the publisher unit is affiliated with the plurality of DS units.

8. The DSN of claim 6, wherein the publisher unit is further operable to send the authentic and time-stamped access control list by at least one of:

substantially concurrently sending the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units;

sequentially sending the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units;

sending, in response to a request, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units; and

sending, upon boot-up of at least one of the plurality of DS units, the authentic and time-stamped access control list to the plurality of DS units.

9. The DSN of claim 6 further comprises:

the plurality of DS units, wherein one of the plurality of DS units is operable to;

receive the authentic and time-stamped access control list;

parse the authentic and time-stamped access control list to produce a signature and a time-stamped access control list;

validate the signature based on a public key of the DS managing unit;

when the signature is validated, extract a time-stamp value and the access control list from the time-stamped access control list; and

store the access control list.

10. The DSN of claim 6, wherein the access control list comprises at least one of:

a list of users allowed to access the DSN;

a list of user transactions allowed on the DSN;

a list of users allowed to access one or more vaults of the DSN; and

a list of user transactions allowed on the one or more vaults of the DSN.