Method for data protection in disk array systems

Abstract

A method and a system for implementing the method are disclosed relating to archival storage of information in large numbers of disk units. The reliability of the stored information is checked periodically using data verification operations whose results are saved. These results establish the veracity of the data and enable compliance with various regulatory requirements. The techniques described enable the use of low cost disk drive technology, yet provide high assurance of data veracity. In a typical system, management information storage is provided in which data entries are associated with each of the disk drives to provide information with respect to the condition of the data on that drive and its last verification. The data verification operations are performed on the data during time periods when I / O accesses are not required.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to storage systems, and in particular to the long term reliable storage of verifiable data in such systems. [0002] Large organizations throughout the world now are involved in millions of transactions which include enormous amounts of text, video, graphical and audio information which is categorized, stored, accessed and transferred every day. The volume of such information continues to grow rapidly. One technique for managing such massive amounts of information is the use of storage systems. Conventional storage systems can include large numbers of disk drives operating under various control mechanisms to record, back up and enable reproduction of this enormous amount of data. This rapidly growing amount of data requires most companies to manage the data carefully with their information technology systems. [0003] Recently, new standards have been promulgated from various governmental entities which require corporat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] It is also advantageous in systems implementing the techniques of this invention to store the data verification logs in a manner to control access to them. As such they may be encrypted or secured using a variety of known techniques. Such an approach helps assure that an audit of the system will demonstrate the integrity of the archived data.

[0013] In other implementations of the invention, it is desirable to have a special mode for the storage system operation in which all the disk drives are maintained with power on. When an audit of the archived data is performed, the search can be done more quickly.

Problems solved by technology

On the other hand, personal computers and inexpensive servers often utilize low performance, lower reliability disk drives with conventional low speed interfaces such as ATA or IDE.

The lower reliability and performance of such hard disk drives allow them to be manufactured in mass production with low prices.

Unfortunately, keeping hard disk drives off for long periods of time can also cause corruption of the recording media and the read / write devices.

In many such archival systems, intentional, or even accidental modification of the data, for example by manual operator intervention or by software, is blocked using secure authentication mechanisms.

Images