Peer-to-peer network information storage

• US 20060190716A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1065 Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT] pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• 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 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065

Abstract

In a typical peer-to-peer network, any user of the peer-to-peer network may request a lookup of a key and its associated value. To limit access to a stored key-value pair, a user node may register a key-value pair in a peer-to-peer network associated with an access list listing those user nodes which are authorized to access the key-value pair. The access list may include one or more retrieval identifiers. To further secure the information, the retrieval identifiers and/or the payload may be encrypted. To allow the retrieving user to decrypt an encrypted payload, the payload may be encrypted using a group key associated with the stored key-value pair. The group key may be encrypted using a key known to the retrieving user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) constructing, at a second node of a peer-to-peer network, a registration message comprising a registration key, a payload, and a first retrieval identifier;

b) sending the registration message to a first node having an assigned node indicator of the peer-to-peer network; and

c) storing, at the first node, the registration key associated with the payload and the first retrieval identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the first node a lookup message from a third node comprising the registration key and a second retrieval identifier, and sending the payload to the third node if the second retrieval identifier matches the first retrieval identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the first node a lookup message from a third node comprising the registration key and a second retrieval identifier, hashing the second retrieval identifier, and sending the payload to the third node if the hashed second retrieval identifier matches the first retrieval identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first retrieval identifier includes a hash of a public key of a first user associated with the first retrieval identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating at the second node a group key, and encrypting the payload with the group key.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising encrypting the group key with a public key of a first user associated with the first retrieval identifier, and associating the encrypted group key with the first retrieval identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving at the first node a lookup message from a third node comprising the registration key and a second retrieval identifier, and sending the encrypted payload and the encrypted group key to the third node if the second retrieval identifier is validated against the first retrieval identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising decrypting, at the third node, the encrypted group key with a private key.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising decrypting the encrypted payload with the decrypted group key.

10. One or more computer readable media containing computer executable instructions that, when implemented, perform a method comprising:

a) assigning a node identifier to a first node of a peer-to-peer network; and

b) storing, at the first node, a key-value pair, a key of the key-value pair including a first registration key, a value of the key-value pair including a payload and an access list, the access list comprising a first retrieval identifier associated with a user who is authorized to retrieve the payload.

11. The one or more computer readable media of claim 10, further comprising receiving a lookup message at the first node, the lookup message including a second registration key and a second retrieval identifier.

12. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, further comprising comparing the first retrieval identifier with the second retrieval identifier, and sending a standard error message if the second retrieval identifier does not match the first retrieval identifier.

13. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the lookup message includes an origination indicator, and the method further comprises the first node validating the origination indicator.

14. The one or more computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the origination indicator includes a signature of a text string, and validating the origination indicator includes validating the signature of the text string.

15. The one or more computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the second retrieval identifier includes a public key of a user associated with the second retrieval identifier.

16. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein validating the signature includes decrypting the text string with the public key.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components comprising:

a) means for preparing, at a first node in a peer-to-peer network, a payload as a portion of a value of a key-value pair using a local application;

b) means for encrypting, at the first node, at least one of the payload and a retrieval identifier, the retrieval identifier indicating at least one user authorized to access the payload;

c) means for generating the key-value pair, at least a portion of the value including the payload and the retrieval identifier; and

d) means for registering the key-value pair at a second node in the peer-to-peer network, the second node having an assigned node identifier.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the means for generating the key-value pair is for encrypting the payload with a group key.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the retrieval identifier includes a public key of the at least one user.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the retrieval identifier includes a hash of the public key.