System and method for recovering from an interrupted encryption and decryption operation performed on a volume

• US 9,098,727 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Amy Christine, Stufflebeam, Kenneth W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T
• Application Number:
  US13/663,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 726/22, 711/154, 711/160, 711/161, 711/163, 711/164
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/125 Parallelization or pipelining, e.g. for accelerating processing of cryptographic operations

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with traditional approaches to encryption and decryption of data are provided. An information handling system may include a processor, a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, and a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor. The computer-readable medium may have instructions stored thereon, the instructions configured to, when executed by the processor: (i) periodically store, during an encryption or decryption operation performed on the computer-readable medium, one or more variables indicative of an encryption status of a volume of the computer-readable medium; (ii) determine, based on the one or more variables, whether the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state; and (iii) in response to a determination that the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state, boot from the volume and continue the encryption or decryption operation.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a storage resource communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor and having one or more instructions stored thereon, the one or more instructions configured to, when executed by the processor;

periodically store, during an encryption or decryption operation performed on a volume of the storage resource, one or more variables indicative of an encryption status of the volume;

during a boot-up sequence following an abrupt interruption of the encryption or decryption operation, determine, based on the one or more variables, whether the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state; and

in response to a determination that the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state, boot from the volume and continue the encryption or decryption operation.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable that indicates an address of the last encrypted or decrypted sector of the volume.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more variables is stored in a master boot record signature.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the computer-readable medium is associated with a basic input/output system (BIOS) driver that reads the master boot record signature.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the volume is a boot volume.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more variables includes a single variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted and whether the volume is partially encrypted or decrypted.

8. A method for recovering from an interrupted encryption or decryption operation performed on a volume, comprising:

periodically storing, during an encryption or decryption operation performed on a volume of the storage resource, one or more variables indicative of an encryption status of the volume;

during a boot-up sequence following an abrupt interruption of the encryption or decryption operation, determine, based on the one or more variables, whether the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state; and

in response to a determination that the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state, boot from the volume and continue the encryption or decryption operation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable that indicates an address of the last encrypted or decrypted sector of the volume.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more variables is stored on a master boot record signature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state comprises reading the master boot record signature of the volume by a basic input/output system (BIOS) driver.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the volume is a boot volume.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more variables includes a single variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted and whether the volume is partially encrypted or decrypted.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to;

periodically store, during an encryption or decryption operation performed on a volume of the storage resource, one or more variables indicative of an encryption status of the volume;

during a boot-up sequence following an abrupt interruption of the encryption or decryption operation, determine, based on the one or more variables, whether the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state; and

in response to a determination that the volume is in a partially encrypted or decrypted state, boot from the volume and continue the encryption or decryption operation.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable that indicates an address of the last encrypted or decrypted sector of the volume.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more variables is stored in a master boot record signature.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium includes a basic input/output system (BIOS) driver configured to read the master boot record signature.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more variables includes a variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the one or more variables includes a single variable indicative of a portion of the volume that is encrypted or decrypted and whether the volume is partially encrypted or decrypted.