Utilizing a non-repeating identifier to encrypt data

• US 9,779,268 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Colgrove, John, McAuliffe, Mark L., Miller, Ethan L., Neelakantam, Naveen, Sanvido, Marco, Vachharajani, Neil A., Vohra, Taher
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/730,202
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• 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: H04L 9/065 Encryption by serially and continuously modifying data stream elements, e.g. stream cipher systems, RC4, SEAL or A5/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

Utilizing a non-repeating identifier to encrypt data, including: receiving a request to write data to a storage device; selecting a segment-offset pair where the data will be stored, where the selected segment-offset pair is unique to every other segment-offset pair utilized during the lifetime of the storage device; and encrypting the data in dependence upon an identifier of the segment-offset pair.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a non-repeating identifier to encrypt data, the method comprising:

receiving, by a storage controller of a storage array, a request to write data to a storage device of the storage array;

selecting, by the storage controller, a segment-offset pair where the data will be stored, wherein the selected segment-offset pair is unique relative to every other segment-offset pair previously utilized by the storage device, wherein the selected segment-offset pair cannot be reutilized to service another request to write data to the storage device, wherein selecting the segment-offset pair includes;

determining whether an active segment has free space to store the data; and

responsive to determining that the active segment does not have the free space to store the data, creating a new segment using a monotonically increasing number for the new segment identifier;

utilizing, by the storage controller, the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data; and

writing, by the storage controller, the encrypted data to the storage device at the selected segment-offset pair.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data in the storage device further comprises utilizing an encryption key.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the segment-offset pair where the data will be stored further comprises:

responsive to determining that the active segment does have the free space to store the data, storing the data in the active segment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the new segment further comprises selecting the new segment identifier using a Bloom filter to verify that the new segment identifier is unique relative to all other segment identifiers previously utilized by the storage device.

5. An apparatus for utilizing a non-repeating identifier to encrypt data, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a storage controller of a storage array, a request to write data to a storage device of the storage array;

selecting, by the storage controller, a segment-offset pair where the data will be stored, wherein the selected segment-offset pair is unique relative to every other segment-offset pair previously utilized by the storage device, wherein the selected segment-offset pair cannot be reutilized to service another request to write data to the storage device, wherein selecting the segment-offset pair includes;

determining whether an active segment has free space to store the data; and

responsive to determining that the active segment does not have the free space to store the data, creating a new segment using a monotonically increasing number for the new segment identifier;

utilizing, by the storage controller, the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data; and

writing, by the storage controller, the encrypted data to the storage device at the selected segment-offset pair.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 utilizing the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data in the storage device further comprises utilizing an encryption key.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein selecting the segment-offset pair where the data will be stored further comprises:

responsive to determining that the active segment does have the free space to store the data, storing the data in the active segment.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein creating the new segment further comprises selecting the new segment identifier using a Bloom filter to verify that the new segment identifier is unique relative to all other segment identifiers previously utilized by the storage device.

9. A computer program product for utilizing a non-repeating identifier to encrypt data, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a storage controller of a storage array, a request to write data to a storage device of the storage array;

selecting, by the storage controller, a segment-offset pair where the data will be stored, wherein the selected segment-offset pair is unique relative to every other segment-offset pair previously utilized by the storage device, wherein the selected segment-offset pair cannot be reutilized to service another request to write data to the storage device, wherein selecting the segment-offset pair includes;

determining whether an active segment has free space to store the data; and

responsive to determining that the active segment does not have the free space to store the data, creating a new segment using a monotonically increasing number for the new segment identifier;

utilizing, by the storage controller, the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data; and

writing, by the storage controller, the encrypted data to the storage device at the selected segment-offset pair.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein utilizing the new segment identifier of the segment-offset pair to encrypt the data in the storage device further comprises utilizing an encryption key.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein selecting the segment-offset pair where the data will be stored further comprises:

responsive to determining that the active segment does have the free space to store the data, storing the data in the active segment.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein creating the new segment further comprises selecting the new segment identifier using a Bloom filter to verify that the new segment identifier is unique relative to all other segment identifiers previously utilized by the storage device.