Periodic shuffling of data fragments in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network

• US 8,935,355 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garrett, Richard C., Buller, Steven J., Hutzler, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Hee Soo
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US12/244,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1837 Management specially adapted to peer-to-peer storage networks topology management mechanisms of peer-to-peer networks H04L67/1042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to data backup and archival tools and provide a method, system and computer program product for periodically shuffling data fragments in a data backup set across different storage media in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for periodic shuffling of data fragments in a data backup set across different storage media in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network can be provided. The method can include partitioning a file into multiple, different fragments for storage in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network, storing the fragments in different peer hosts in the peer-to-peer data backup and archival network, and periodically shuffling the stored fragments to different peer hosts. In an aspect of the embodiment, the method also can include encrypting the fragments before storage in the different peer hosts.

Claims

1. A method for periodic shuffling of data fragments in a data backup set across different storage media in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network, the method comprising:

partitioning a file into multiple, different fragments for storage in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network;

storing the fragments in different peer hosts in the peer-to-peer data backup and archival network;

periodically shuffling the stored fragments to different peer hosts; and

broadcasting, to all of the different peer hosts, a request to retrieve the stored fragments, wherein

a location of the stored fragments are not recorded in a master index for the file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

encrypting the fragments before storage in the different peer hosts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the file is partitioned into multiple multi-byte-sized fragments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the periodically shuffling the stored fragments to the different peer hosts, comprises:

monitoring time to live (TTL) values for each of the fragments stored in respective ones of the different peer hosts; and

moving fragments with expired TTL values from hosting ones of the different peer hosts to new ones of the different peer hosts.

5. A peer-to-peer data backup and archival network configured for periodic shuffling of data fragments in a data backup set across different storage media, the network comprising:

a plurality of peer hosts;

a data backup and archival tool coupled to the plurality of peer hosts and configured to

store a file in the peer-to-peer backup and archival network, and

broadcast, to all of the plurality of the coupled peer hosts, a request to retrieve fragments for the file;

a plurality of peer hosts coupled to the tool; and

peer-to-peer fragment shuffler program code coupled to each of the peer hosts, the program code configured to

store the fragments for the file, and

periodically shuffle the stored fragments to different peer hosts, wherein

a location of the stored fragments are not recorded in a master index for the file.

6. The network of claim 5, wherein

the fragments are encrypted bytes of the file.

7. The network of claim 5, wherein

each of the fragments comprises a time to live (TTL) value which upon expiration triggers a periodic shuffling of a corresponding one of the fragments to a new one of the peer hosts.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for periodic shuffling of data fragments in a data backup set across different storage media in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network, the computer usable program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system causing the computer hardware system to perform

partitioning a file into multiple, different fragments for storage in a peer-to-peer data backup and archival network;

storing the fragments in different peer hosts in the peer-to-peer data backup and archival network;

periodically shuffling the stored fragments to different peer hosts; and

broadcasting, to all of the different peer hosts, a request to retrieve the stored fragments, wherein

a location of the stored fragments are not recorded in a master index for the file.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer hardware device is further caused to perform

encrypting the fragments before storage in the different peer hosts.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein

the file is partitioned into multiple multi-byte sized fragments.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein

the periodically shuffling the stored fragments to the different peer hosts comprises:

monitoring time to live (TTL) values for each of the fragments stored in respective ones of the different peer hosts; and

moving fragments with expired TTL values from hosting ones of the different peer hosts to new ones of the different peer hosts.