Methods and systems for NAS device pairing and mirroring

• US 9,009,525 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Murphy, John, Wade, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHELL, JOSEPH O
• Application Number:
  US13/491,491
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6.2, 714/15, 714/4.11, 714/4.3, 714/4.4, 714/6.23, 714/6.3, 714/6.32, 707/640, 707/645, 707/656, 711/161, 711/162, 711/163, 713/189, 713/193
• US Class Current: 714/6.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1612 where the redundant component is persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2053 where persistent mass storage functionality or persistent mass storage control functionality is redundant error detection or correction in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• 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 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation

Abstract

One embodiment is a system, comprising a first NAS device, a second NAS device. The first and second NAS devices may be configured to be paired with one another to enable an ongoing secure exchange of content (e.g., files, pictures, movies, audio recordings) and NAS settings (e.g., RAID settings, backup schedules, etc.) between the first and second NAS devices across a network. According to one embodiment, through this ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings, the second NAS device may become and may be thereafter maintained as a mirror of the first NAS device, such that the second NAS device may be maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first NAS device; and

a second NAS device, the first and second NAS devices being configured to store associated security keys to enable the first and second NAS devices to be paired with one another to enable an initiation and ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings directly between the first and second NAS devices across a network wherein, through the ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings, the second NAS device becomes and is thereafter maintained as a mirror of the first NAS device such that the second NAS device is maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second NAS devices are factory pre-configured as an associated pair of NAS devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second NAS devices are configured to require an online registration process and wherein during the online registration process, the first and second NAS devices are configured to exchange security information to enable the ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings.

4. The system of claim 1, further including an online secure site and wherein the first and second NAS devices are further configured to connect to the online secure site to securely exchange the content and NAS settings.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first NAs device is further configured to encrypt the content and NAS settings and send the encrypted content and NAS settings to the second NAS device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second NAS device is further configured to receive the encrypted content and NAS settings from the first NAS device and to decrypt the received encrypted content and NAS settings.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a removable storage configured to couple to the first and second NAS devices in turn to provide each with associated security keys to enable the ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second NAS devices is configured to generate and send a user message over the network reporting on a state of a mirroring between the first and second NAS devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first NAS device comprises a first disk drive and wherein the second NAS device comprises a second disk drive.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first NAS device comprises a first solid state storage device and wherein the second NAS device comprises a second solid state storage device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first NAS device comprises a first hybrid storage device comprising a first solid state storage device and a first disk drive and wherein the second NAS device comprises a second solid state storage device and a second disk drive.

12. A method, comprising:

storing first security keys in a first NAS device and second security keys in a second NAS device, the first and second security keys being configured to enable the first and second NAS devices to be paired with one another;

pairing the first NAS device to the second NAS device through exchange of the associated first and second security keys to enable an initiation and an ongoing secure exchange of user content and NAS settings directly between the first and second NAS devices across a network;

storing the user content and settings on the first NAS device;

encrypting, by the first NAS device, the user content and settings;

repeatedly sending, by the first NAS device, the encrypted user content and settings as the user content and settings are created or changed; and

receiving, by the second NAS device, the encrypted user content and settings, so as to effectuate the ongoing secure exchange of user content and NAS settings between the first and second NAS devices and to maintain the second NAS device as a mirror of the first NAS device, such that the second NAS device is maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein pairing comprises factory pre-configuring the first and second NAS devices as an associated pair of NAS devices.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

configuring the first and second NAS devices to require an online registration process, and

exchanging, during the online registration process, security information between the first and second NAS devices to enable the ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the first and second NAS devices connecting to an online secure site to securely exchange the content and NAS settings.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising at least one of the first and the second NAS device generating and sending a user message over the network reporting on a state of a mirroring between the first and second NAS devices.

17. A system, comprising:

a first NAS device; and

a second NAS device, the first NAS device and the second NAS device being factory pre-configured as an associated pair of NAS devices to store first security keys in the first NAS device and second security keys in the second NAS device, the first and second security keys being configured to enable the first and second NAS devices to be paired with one another to enable an ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings between the first and second NAS devices across a network,

wherein, through the ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings, the second NAS device becomes and is thereafter maintained as a mirror of the first NAS device such that the second NAS device is maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.

18. A method, comprising:

factory pre-configuring a first NAS device and a second NAS device as an associated pair of NAS devices to store first security keys in the first NAS device and second security keys in the second NAS device, the first and second security keys being configured to enable the first and second NAS devices to be paired with one another to enable an ongoing secure exchange of user content and NAS settings between the first and second NAS devices across a network and configuring the first NAS and the second NAS to enable;

storing the user content and settings on the first NAS device;

encrypting, by the first NAS device, the user content and settings;

repeatedly sending, by the first NAS device, the encrypted user content and settings as the user content and settings are created or changed; and

receiving, by the second NAS device, the encrypted user content and settings, so as to effectuate the ongoing secure exchange of user content and NAS settings between the first and second NAS devices and to maintain the second NAS device as a mirror of the first NAS device, such that the second NAS device is maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.