Authenticated Skip List for Dynamic Database Table Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing database management systems lack efficient methods for dynamically managing and authenticating relational tables, particularly in ensuring the integrity, completeness, and authenticity of query responses, especially when the database administrator or DBMS is not fully trusted, and existing solutions like Merkle hash trees are not scalable for dynamic updates.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of authenticated skip lists within a database management system, using a cryptographic superstructure that allows for posteriori authentication of query results and efficient dynamic management of data, with a focus on reducing computational complexity and overhead through optimized query structures and data representation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Merkle hash trees are used for authentication, then query result authentication is enabled, but dynamic updates are not scalable and computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication structure into multiple levels (root level, intermediate levels, and leaf level) similar to a skip list. Each level contains a subset of hashes, allowing incremental authentication without requiring complete reconstruction. This segmentation enables efficient dynamic updates by only modifying affected segments rather than the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic authentication structure that adapts to updates. When data is inserted, deleted, or modified, only the necessary hash values at specific levels are updated, not the entire authentication structure. This dynamic approach maintains O(log n) complexity for updates, making it scalable for large databases with frequent changes.
2Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used, then security is provided, but performance and scalability for large tables deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes and stores hash values at multiple levels during data insertion and organization. This preliminary action creates an optimized authentication structure beforehand, so that during query operations, authentication can be performed rapidly by simply verifying pre-computed hashes without expensive real-time calculations, thus maintaining high performance for large tables.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a vertical dimension to traditional horizontal hash structures by organizing hashes in multiple levels (similar to skip lists). This dimensional transformation allows the system to authenticate queries in O(log n) time by traversing only necessary levels, significantly improving performance over linear authentication methods while maintaining security.
3Measurement precision
If complete authentication structures are maintained, then authenticity verification is accurate, but storage overhead and memory capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential authentication information needed for verification and stores it in a compact multi-level structure. Instead of maintaining complete authentication paths for all data, it selectively stores hashes at strategic levels, reducing storage overhead while preserving the ability to accurately verify authenticity through the condensed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested hierarchical structure where hashes at higher levels are derived from and contain information about hashes at lower levels. This nesting allows the system to store compact authentication data at each level, reducing total storage requirements while maintaining complete authentication capability through the nested relationships.
4Reliability
If frequent updates are performed, then data currency is maintained, but authentication structure maintenance becomes computationally expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic authentication structure that adapts to updates. When data is inserted, deleted, or modified, only the necessary hash values at specific levels are updated, not the entire authentication structure. This dynamic approach maintains O(log n) complexity for updates, making it scalable for large databases with frequent changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication structure into multiple levels (root level, intermediate levels, and leaf level) similar to a skip list. Each level contains a subset of hashes, allowing incremental authentication without requiring complete reconstruction. This segmentation enables efficient dynamic updates by only modifying affected segments rather than the entire structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for the dynamic secure management of an authenticated relational table forming part of a database; the method comprises the following steps: store the authenticated relational table in a secondary memory' with a high storage capacity and a slow data access time; maintain an authenticated skip list within the authenticated relational table in order to create an authentication superstructure; determine a signed hash or basis value which characterises the entire authenticated relational table; authenticate the presence or otherwise of a set of elements belonging to the skip list via a root path suitable for calculating a check hash value comparable to the signed hash value which characterises the entire authenticated relational table; and validate the result of the authentication step by checking that the check hash value calculated by means of the root path is equal to the signed hash value that characterises the entire authenticated relational table.