Block Interface for Dispersed Data Storage Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed data storage networks are not generally accessible by commonly used operating systems and file systems, limiting their utility and integration with standard computing environments.
Innovation Solution
A block-based interface is provided through a customized iSCSI Target or device driver, allowing a dispersed data storage network to be mounted as an ordinary drive, enabling interaction with commonly used file systems like NTFS, HFS+, and ext3, and implementing a data dispersal algorithm for secure and reliable data storage across multiple slice servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If data is stored in a single location, then storage simplicity is improved, but reliability and security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data into multiple slices using an information dispersal algorithm, storing each slice on separate drives. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while improving reliability, as the data can be reconstructed from any sufficient subset of slices across multiple locations, eliminating the single point of failure inherent in single-location storage.
2Reliability
If data is backed up in a separate location, then reliability is improved, but security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into multiple slices distributed across different locations, so that no single location contains the complete usable file. This resolves the security vulnerability of traditional backups while maintaining reliability, as an attacker would need to compromise multiple distributed locations to reconstruct the data, yet the system remains resilient to individual location failures.
Solution Approach 2:
Different slices of data are stored with different security characteristics at different locations. The patent implements location-aware security policies where slices can be encrypted or protected differently based on their destination, allowing the system to maintain reliability through distribution while enhancing security through location-specific protective measures.
3Reliability
If data is split into stripes using RAID, then reliability is improved, but security remains compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the segmentation concept beyond RAID by using information dispersal algorithms that create slices with built-in security properties. Unlike traditional RAID striping where all stripes together reconstruct the original data, the patent's approach ensures that sufficient slices are needed to reconstruct data, and these slices can be distributed and protected independently, thereby achieving both reliability and security simultaneously.
4Reliability
If a dispersed data storage network is implemented, then security and reliability are improved, but accessibility by standard operating systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that translates between standard operating system file access requests and the dispersed storage network's slice-based architecture. This intermediary handles the complexity of slice reconstruction and distribution transparently, allowing standard operating systems to access the dispersed storage network using conventional file protocols while the underlying system maintains security and reliability through data segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal interface that allows the dispersed storage network to be accessed by multiple standard operating systems and applications simultaneously. The system provides multi-functionality by supporting both the security benefits of dispersed storage and the ease of use of standard file systems, making the technology accessible to a broad range of users without requiring specialized knowledge or custom software for each operating system.
Data Source
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AI summary
A block-based interface to a dispersed data storage network is disclosed. The disclosed interface accepts read and write commands from a file system resident on a user's computer and generates network commands that are forwarded to slice servers that form the storage component of the dispersed data storage network. The slice servers then fulfill the read and write commands.