Method and system for improving storage security in a cloud computing environment

• US 9,055,052 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Mane, Nandkumar Lalasaheb, Arasanal, Rajashekhar Mallikarjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDAYE, KIDEST H
• Application Number:
  US14/091,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/127 Trusted platform modules [TPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A method of improving storage security in a cloud environment includes interfacing a secure microcontroller with a storage controller associated with a client device in the cloud environment to authenticate a platform associated with the storage controller and registering the storage controller with an authentication server configured to be set up in the cloud environment. The method also includes authenticating the storage controller based on a communication protocol between the client device, the authentication server and the storage controller, and obtaining, at the client device, a signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof. The signature data is configured to be stored in the secure microcontroller interfaced with the storage controller.

Claims

1. A method of improving storage security in a cloud environment comprising:

interfacing a secure microcontroller with a storage controller associated with a client device in the cloud environment to authenticate a platform associated with the storage controller;

registering the storage controller with an authentication server configured to be set up in the cloud environment;

authenticating the storage controller based on a communication protocol between the client device, the authentication server and the storage controller; and

obtaining, at the client device, a signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof, the signature data being configured to be stored in the secure microcontroller interfaced with the storage controller,

wherein authenticating the storage controller includes;

requesting the authentication server to attest the storage controller through a cloud manager of the cloud environment configured to provision storage therein;

transmitting an authentication request from the authentication server to the storage controller with a nonce and the signature data of the authentication server encrypted using a private key;

decrypting the encrypted nonce and the signature data of the authentication server at the storage controller using a public portion of a key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller;

transmitting the signature data of the storage controller from the authentication server to the cloud manager when the signature data of the storage controller is matched in a database associated with the authentication server, and when the nonce is matched in decrypted content at the authentication server; and

transmitting the signature data of the storage controller from the cloud manager to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein interfacing the secure microcontroller with the storage controller includes:

incorporating the secure microcontroller on a motherboard associated with the storage controller;

rendering a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) on the storage controller to be aware of a hardware associated with the secure microcontroller; and

communicating with the authentication server through an application configured to be aware of the hardware associated with the secure microcontroller during the registration and the authentication of the storage controller, the application being configured to communicate with the secure microcontroller and the BIOS on the storage controller through an appropriate device driver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the storage controller with a signature data of the authentication server, the authentication server also being configured to be interfaced with a secure microcontroller configured to store the signature data thereof; and

configuring the authentication server with the signature data of the storage controller prior to registering the storage controller with the authentication server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure microcontroller is a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically transmitting, to the client device, the signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the signature data of the storage controller includes a list of hashes of at least one of a version of the BIOS on the storage controller, a storage operating system version executing on the storage controller, a physical hardware identification attribute of the storage controller and a configuration information associated with the storage controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the storage controller based on the communication protocol between the client device, the authentication server and the storage controller further includes:

transmitting, from the storage controller to the authentication server, the signature data of the storage controller and the nonce encrypted using the private key after verification of the signature data of the authentication server following the decryption;

decrypting the encrypted signature data of the storage controller and the nonce at the authentication server using the public portion of the key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding the storage controller to a list of trusted storage controllers associated with the authentication server following the authentication of the storage controller; and

storing an appropriate key pair associated with the transmission between the authentication server and the storage controller at the authentication server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing a new key pair following rebooting of one of the storage controller and the authentication server; and

registering the storage controller with the authentication server based on the new key pair.

10. A method of verifying integrity of a storage controller associated with a client device in a cloud environment comprising:

configuring the storage controller with information associated with an authentication server set up in the cloud environment, the information being associated with a signature data of the authentication server;

configuring the authentication server with a signature data associated with the storage controller;

registering the storage controller with the authentication server to establish a trusted key pair therebetween;

attesting the storage controller through the authentication server based on the established trusted key pair; and

obtaining, at the client device, the signature data of the storage controller following the attestation thereof;

wherein attesting the storage controller includes;

requesting the authentication server to attest the storage controller through a cloud manager of the cloud environment configured to provision storage therein;

transmitting an authentication request from the authentication server to the storage controller with a nonce and the signature data of the authentication server encrypted using a private key;

decrypting the encrypted nonce and the signature data of the authentication server at the storage controller using a public portion of a key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller;

transmitting the signature data of the storage controller from the authentication server to the cloud manager when the signature data of the storage controller is matched in a database associated with the authentication server, and when the nonce is matched in decrypted content at the authentication server; and

transmitting the signature data of the storage controller from the cloud manager to the client device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising interfacing a secure microcontroller with the storage controller to authenticate a platform associated with the storage controller, wherein the signature data of the storage controller is configured to be stored in the secure microcontroller interfaced with the storage controller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein interfacing the secure microcontroller with the storage controller includes:

incorporating the secure microcontroller on a motherboard associated with the storage controller;

rendering a BIOS on the storage controller to be aware of a hardware associated with the secure microcontroller; and

communicating with the authentication server through an application configured to be aware of the hardware associated with the secure microcontroller during the registration and the attestation of the storage controller, the application being configured to communicate with the secure microcontroller and the BIOS on the storage controller through an appropriate device driver.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the secure microcontroller is a TPM chip.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the signature data of the storage controller includes a list of hashes of at least one of a version of the BIOS on the storage controller, a storage operating system version executing on the storage controller, a physical hardware identification attribute of the storage controller and a configuration information associated with the storage controller.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein attesting the storage controller further includes:

transmitting, from the storage controller to the authentication server, the signature data of the storage controller and the nonce encrypted using the private key after verification of the signature data of the authentication server following the decryption;

decrypting the encrypted signature data of the storage controller and the nonce at the authentication server using the public portion of the key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adding the storage controller to a list of trusted storage controllers associated with the authentication server following the attestation of the storage controller; and

storing an appropriate key pair associated with the transmission between the authentication server and the storage controller at the authentication server.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

establishing a new trusted key pair following rebooting of one of the storage controller and the authentication server; and

registering the storage controller with the authentication server based on the new key pair.

18. A cloud environment with improved storage security device;

a processor coupled to the storage device configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the storage device comprising;

a client device;

a cloud manager configured to provision storage associated with the client device in the cloud environment;

a storage controller associated with the client device, the storage controller comprising a secure microcontroller interfaced therewith to authenticate a platform associated therewith; and

an authentication server configured to register the storage controller and to authenticate the storage controller based on a communication protocol between the client device, the storage controller and the authentication server, wherein the client device is at least one of;

automatically configured to obtain a signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof, and configured to obtain the signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof upon querying the storage controller, wherein the secure microcontroller is configured to store the signature data of the storage controller therein and wherein during authentication of the storage controller based on the communication protocol, the cloud manager is configured to request the authentication server to attest the storage controller, the authentication server is further configured to transmit an authentication request to the storage controller with a nonce and the signature data of the authentication server encrypted using a private key, and the storage controller is further configured to decrypt the encrypted third nonce and the signature data of the authentication server using a public portion of the key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller;

transmit the signature data of the storage controller from the authentication server to the cloud manager when the signature data of the storage controller is matched in a database associated with the authentication server, and when the nonce is matched in decrypted content at the authentication server; and

transmit the signature data of the storage controller from the cloud manager to the client device.

19. The cloud environment of claim 18, wherein the secure microcontroller is incorporated on a motherboard associated with the storage controller, wherein a BIOS on the storage controller is configured to be aware of a hardware associated with the secure microcontroller, wherein the storage controller is configured to communicate with the authentication server through an application configured to be aware of the hardware associated with the secure microcontroller during the registration and the authentication of the storage controller, and wherein the application is configured to communicate with the secure microcontroller and the BIOS on the storage controller through an appropriate device driver.

20. The cloud environment of claim 18, wherein, prior to registering the storage controller with the authentication server:

the storage controller is configured with a signature data of the authentication server, the authentication server also being configured to be interfaced with a secure microcontroller configured to store the signature data thereof, and the authentication server is configured with the signature data of the storage controller.

21. The cloud environment of claim 18, wherein the secure microcontroller is a TPM chip.

22. The cloud environment of claim 18, further comprising a computer network configured to enable communication between the client device and the cloud manager.

23. The cloud environment of claim 19, wherein the signature data of the storage controller includes a list of hashes of at least one of a version of the BIOS on the storage controller, a storage operating system version executing on the storage controller, a physical hardware identification attribute of the storage controller and a configuration information associated with the storage controller.

24. The cloud environment of claim 18, wherein during authentication of the storage controller based on the communication protocol, the storage controller is further configured to transmit, to the authentication server, the signature data thereof and the nonce encrypted using the private key after verification of the signature data of the authentication server following the decryption, the authentication server is further configured to decrypt the encrypted signature data of the storage controller and the nonce using the public portion of the key shared between the authentication server and the storage controller.

25. The cloud environment of claim 24, wherein:

the authentication server is further configured to add the storage controller to a list of trusted storage controllers associated therewith following the authentication of the storage controller, and the authentication server is further configured to store an appropriate key pair associated with the transmission between the authentication server and the storage controller in a memory associated therewith.

26. The cloud environment of claim 25, wherein:

a new key pair is established following rebooting of one of the storage controller and the authentication server, and the authentication server is configured to register the storage controller based on the new key pair.