Tape backup method

• US 8,904,080 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Security First Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Security First Corp
• Inventors: Martin, Don, Orsini, Rick L., O'Hare, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Mardochee
• Application Number:
  US11/999,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/216
• US Class Current: 711/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00

Abstract

A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing and communicating data. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security. The secure data parser may be used to protect data in motion by splitting original data into portions of data, that may be communicated using multiple communications paths.

Claims

1. A method for backing up a data set, the method comprising:

generating at least two portions of data from the data set based at least in part on a key, wherein each of the at least two portions of data respectively contains a substantially random distribution of a respective subset of the data set and at least a portion of the key; and

storing each of the at least two portions of data on a separate backup tape by accessing a logical mount point that points to at least two separate backup tapes, wherein

the data set is restorable from at least two portions of the at least two portions of data and at least two portions of the key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising digitally protecting each backup tape with a value selected from the group consisting of Secure Hash Algorithm-256 (SHA-256), Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) hash value, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether each backup tape is capable of being used to restore the data set according to whether the value changed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising splitting the key into at least two portions using a secret sharing algorithm.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secret sharing algorithm is selected from the group consisting of Shamir and Blakely.

4. A method for backing up a data set, the method comprising:

generating at least two portions of data from the data set based at least in part on a key, wherein each of the at least two portions of data respectively contains a substantially random distribution of a respective subset of the data set and at least a portion of the key;

accessing a logical mount point that points to at least two backup tapes; and

storing each of the at least two portions of data at a separate node, wherein each node comprises at least one backup tape pointed to by the logical mount point, and wherein

the data set is restorable from at least two of the nodes and at least two portions of the key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising digitally protecting each backup tape with a value selected from the group consisting of Secure Hash Algorithm-256 (SHA-256), Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) hash value, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether each backup tape is capable of being used to restore the data set according to whether the value changed.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising splitting the key into at least two portions using a secret sharing algorithm.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the secret sharing algorithm is selected from the group consisting of Shamir and Blakely.