Anonymous peer storage

• US 9,942,315 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Simek, Timothy R
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US14/923,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20170118013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 713171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• 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 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

Techniques are described for anonymous peer storage. In one example, techniques include invoking an action of backing up one or more files utilizing distributed storage for a node Ni in a multi-node network; encrypting the one or more files into a combined encrypted file with a private key required to decrypt the combined encrypted file; splitting the combined encrypted file into Pi portions (P1, P2 . . . Pn) and associating a file identifier Fi to each Pi; anonymously distributing the Pi portions and associated identifier Fi to other nodes Nj and Nk wherein each of j and k is different from i; retaining a look up file containing for the each Pi, the (Nj, Nk) pairs, the Fi, and the private key for future retrieval and decryption; and responsive to receiving an anonymous request containing the Fi by one of the Nj and the Nk, returning the Pi.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for distributed storage, the method comprising:

invoking an action of backing up one or more files utilizing distributed storage for a user at a node Ni in a multi-node network;

allocating to the user an amount of storage space in the distributed storage in proportion to how much local storage space the user provides to the distributed storage for other users;

encrypting the one or more files into a combined encrypted file with a private key required to decrypt the combined encrypted file;

splitting the combined encrypted file into Pi portions (P1, P2 . . . Pn) and associating a file identifier Fi to each Pi;

anonymously distributing the Pi portions and associated identifier Fi to other nodes Nj and Nk wherein each of j and k is different from i, and wherein the anonymously distributing includes distributing a given Pi portion to more than one node such that there is redundancy of storage, and wherein nodes Nj and Nk do not have knowledge of how many data portions of the encrypted file exist, and wherein nodes Nj and Nk do not have knowledge of any other storage node sharing a common data set, and wherein nodes Nj and Nk do not have knowledge of other storage nodes communicating with the user;

retaining a look up file containing for the each Pi, the (Nj, Nk) pairs, the Fi, and the private key for future retrieval and decryption;

purging Pi portions that are stale or no longer of interest; and

responsive to receiving an anonymous request containing the Fi by one of the Nj and the Nk, returning the Pi.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface (UI) allowing a user to participate as a storage node in the distributed storage.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to a user utilizing the UI for the one or more files, identifying

placement and associated identifiers for the one or more files.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

destroying the combined encrypted file; and

rebuilding it from the Pi portions.

5. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to;

invoke an action of backing up one or more files utilizing distributed storage for a user at a node Ni in a multi-node network;

allocate to the user an amount of storage space in the distributed storage in proportion to how much local storage space the user provides to the distributed storage for other users;

encrypt the one or more files into a combined encrypted file with a private key required to decrypt the combined encrypted file;

split the combined encrypted file into Pi portions (P1, P2 . . . Pn) and associating a file identifier Fi to each Pi;

anonymously distribute the Pi portions and associated identifier Fi to other nodes Nj and Nk wherein each of j and k is different from i, and wherein the anonymously distribution includes distribute a given Pi portion to more than one node such that there is redundancy of storage;

retain a look up file containing for the each Pi, the (Nj, Nk) pairs, the Fi, and the private key for future retrieval and decryption;

purge Pi portions that are stale or no longer of interest; and

responsive to receiving an anonymous request containing the Fi by one of the Nj and the Nk, return the Pi.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to provide a user interface (UI) allowing a user to participate as a storage node in the distributed storage.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to, responsive to a user utilizing the UI for the one or more files, identify placement and associated identifiers for the one or more files.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to destroy the combined encrypted file and rebuild it from the Pi portions.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a computing device to:

invoke an action of backing up one or more files utilizing distributed storage for a user at a node Ni in a multi-node network;

allocate to the user an amount of storage space in the distributed storage in proportion to how much local storage space the user provides to the distributed storage for other users;

encrypt the one or more files into a combined encrypted file with a private key required to decrypt the combined encrypted file;

split the combined encrypted file into Pi portions (P1, P2 . . . Pn) and associating a file identifier Fi to each Pi;

anonymously distributing the Pi portions and associated identifier Fi to other nodes Nj and Nk wherein each of j and k is different from i, and wherein the anonymously distributing includes distributing a given Pi portion to more than one node such that there is redundancy of storage;

retain a look up file containing for the each Pi, the (Nj, Nk) pairs, the Fi, and the private key for future retrieval and decryption;

purge Pi portions that are stale or no longer of interest; and

responsive to receiving an anonymous request containing the Fi by one of the Nj and the Nk, return the Pi.

10. The program product of claim 9, further comprising:

code executable to provide a user interface (UI) allowing a user to participate as a storage node in the distributed storage.

11. The program product of claim 10, further comprising:

code executable to, responsive to a user utilizing the UI for the one or more files, identify placement and associated identifiers for the one or more files.

12. The program product of claim 9, further comprising:

code executable to destroy the combined encrypted file and rebuild it from the Pi portions.