Multi-tenant cloud storage system

• US 9,473,419 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTERA Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: CTERA Networks Limited
• Inventors: Brand, Aron
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/243,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• 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]

Abstract

A multi-tenant cloud storage system is provided. The cloud storage system a plurality of tenants, each tenant is configured to utilize an isolated logical partition of the cloud storage system accessible to a respective tenant portal, wherein the plurality of tenants includes at least a first type tenant and a second type tenant, each of the first type tenant and the second type tenant are configured to provision its respective set of members with a different storage policy.

Claims

1. A cloud storage system, comprising:

a plurality of tenant portals, wherein each tenant portal is an isolated logical partition of the cloud storage system, wherein the plurality of tenant portals includes at least a first type tenant portal and a second type tenant portal, wherein each of the first type tenant portal and the second type tenant portal is configured to provision a respective set of members with a different storage policy; and

at least one cloud connector configured to associate endpoints of members to their respective tenant portals.

2. The cloud storage system of claim 1, wherein each different storage policy includes at least one reservation of storage resources and deduplication domains for each respective tenant and its respective set of members.

3. The cloud storage system of claim 1, wherein each of the first type tenant portal and the second type tenant portal are configured with a single subscription plan and with a plurality of add-on packages.

4. The cloud storage system of claim 1, wherein the association of endpoints to a tenant portal is performed through an enrollment process, wherein the enrollment process is any one of:

a local enrollment process, and a remote enrollment process.

5. The cloud storage system of claim 4, wherein the cloud connector is further configured to:

receive an enrollment request generated by an endpoint, wherein the endpoint is preconfigured with a tenant portal in which to locally enroll to;

add the endpoint to the tenant portal;

generate authentication credentials for the endpoint; and

provide the authentication credentials to the endpoint.

6. The cloud storage system of claim 4, wherein the cloud connector is further configured to:

receive a parking request from an endpoint, wherein the parking request includes at least an enrollment code;

receive an activation request from a tenant member, wherein the activation request includes at least an enrollment code initiating the remote enrollment process;

search for an endpoint that previously provided a parking request including an enrollment code matching the enrollment code in the activation request;

associate the endpoint with the tenant portal and the tenant member when a match is found;

generate authentication credentials for the endpoint; and

provide the authentication credentials to the endpoint.

7. The cloud storage system of claim 4, wherein a single sign on protocol is utilized to provide authentication credentials required for the enrollment process.

8. The cloud storage system of claim 1, wherein a single endpoint allows a plurality of members to access at least one of the plurality of tenant portals, wherein each member of a tenant portal receives services based on its a respective tenant storage policy.

9. A method for enrolling an endpoint in a cloud storage system (CSS) including at least one cloud connector, comprising:

determining, by the at least one cloud connector, a target tenant portal respective of an enrollment request to enroll an endpoint in the CSS, upon receiving the enrollment request;

associating, by a local enrollment process, the endpoint with a tenant portal in the CSS based in part on the determination of the target tenant portal, wherein the local enrollment process further comprises;

receiving the enrollment request generated by an agent installed in the endpoint, wherein the agent is preconfigured with a tenant portal in which to enroll;

adding the endpoint to the tenant portal;

generating credentials for the endpoint; and

providing the credentials to the endpoint.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the enrollment request is generated per tenant portal on-the-fly.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a single-sign-on protocol is utilized to provide authentication credentials required for the local enrollment process.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more processing units to execute the method comprising the steps of:

determining, by the at least one cloud connector, a target tenant portal respective of an enrollment request to enroll an endpoint in the CSS, upon receiving the enrollment request;

associating, by a local enrollment process, the endpoint with a tenant portal in the CSS based in part on the determination of the target tenant portal, wherein the local enrollment process further comprises;

receiving the enrollment request generated by an agent installed in the endpoint, wherein the agent is preconfigured with a tenant portal in which to enroll;

adding the endpoint to the tenant portal;

generating credentials for the endpoint; and

providing the credentials to the endpoint.

13. A system for automatically enrolling an endpoint in a cloud storage system (CSS) including at least one cloud connector, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the system to;

enroll an endpoint in the CSS;

determine, by the at least one cloud connector, a target tenant portal respective of the enrollment request, upon receiving an enrollment request generated by an agent installed in the endpoint, wherein the agent is preconfigured with a tenant portal in which to enroll; and

associate the endpoint with the preconfigured tenant portal in the CSS based in part on the determination of the target tenant portal, wherein the association further comprises;

adding the endpoint to the tenant portal;

generating credentials for the endpoint; and

providing the credentials to the endpoint.

14. A method for enrolling an endpoint in a cloud storage system (CSS) including at least one cloud connector, comprising:

determining, by the at least one cloud connector, a target tenant portal respective of an enrollment request to enroll an endpoint in the CSS, upon receiving the enrollment request; and

associating, by a remote enrollment process, the endpoint with a tenant portal in the CSS based in part on the determination of the target tenant portal, wherein the remote enrollment process further comprises;

receiving a parking request from an endpoint, wherein the parking request includes at least an enrollment code;

receiving an activation request from a tenant member, wherein the activation request includes the at least an enrollment code;

searching for an endpoint that previously provided a parking request including an enrollment code matching the at least one enrollment code in the activation request;

associating the endpoint with the tenant portal and the tenant member when a match is found;

generating authentication credentials for the endpoint; and

providing the authentication credentials to the endpoint.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the endpoint is pre-configured with at least an address of the CSS and the enrollment code contained in the parking request.