GENERAL PURPOSE DISTRIBUTED ENCRYPTED FILE SYSTEM

• US 20120185691A1
• Filed: 03/17/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Begum, Hussaina N., Mullen, Shawn P., Pattanshetti, Manjunath A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

A general purpose distributed encrypted file system generates a block key on a client machine. The client machine encrypts a file using the block key. Then, the client encrypts the block key on the first client machine with a public key of a keystore associated with a user and associates the encrypted block key with the encrypted data block as crypto metadata. The client machine caches the encrypted data block and the crypto metadata and sends the encrypted data block and the crypto metadata to a network file system server. When the client machine receives a return code from the network file system server indicating successful writes of the encrypted data block and the crypto metadata, the client machine clears the cached encrypted data block and the crypto metadata.

Claims

1. A method, which comprises:

generating a block key on a first client machine;

encrypting a data block on said first client machine with said block key;

encrypting said block key on said first client machine with a public key associated with a user;

associating said encrypted block key with said encrypted data block as crypto metadata;

caching said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata on said first client machine;

sending said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata from said first client machine to a network file system server; and

,

clearing said cached encrypted data block and said crypto metadata upon receipt of a return code indicating successful writes of said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata by said network file system server.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wherein said public key is part of keystore associated with said user.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said keystore is stored on a remote server.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said remote server comprises a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crypto metadata is associated with said encrypted data block as extended attributes.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata from said network file system server at a receiving client machine;

decrypting said crypto metadata using a private key to obtain said block key; and

,

decrypting said encrypted data block with said block key.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said receiving client machine is said first client machine.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said private key is part of keystore associated with said user.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said keystore is stored on a remote server.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said remote server comprises a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server.