Controller Card Data Protection During Power Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems face challenges in securely safeguarding electronic content, particularly during power failures, as they often rely on volatile memory that can lose data when power is interrupted, and existing solutions do not effectively address the need for both data integrity and encryption in a scalable and efficient manner.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that processes unsecure data to produce a secure data portion by adding a data integrity field and/or encrypting it using a processor within a controller card, then stores this secure data on a persistent storage device, such as a flash-based storage device, to ensure data integrity and security, even in the event of power failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If volatile memory is used for data storage, then storage speed and accessibility are improved, but data security and integrity deteriorate during power failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary encryption of data before storing it in volatile memory, and maintains encryption keys in secure storage. When power failure is detected, the system has pre-configured backup mechanisms that can quickly migrate encrypted data to non-volatile storage, preventing data loss while maintaining the performance benefits of volatile memory for active operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary secure storage layer between volatile memory and permanent storage. This intermediary layer handles the transition of data during power failures, providing a buffer that protects both the performance advantages of volatile memory and the reliability requirements of persistent storage.
2Reliability
If encryption operations are performed on all data, then data security is improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies encryption selectively rather than universally - encrypting data at rest in persistent storage and for sensitive operations, while maintaining unencrypted data paths for performance-critical operations that don't require security. This local application of encryption maintains security where needed without unnecessarily increasing system complexity everywhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements encryption for data persistence and backup operations, accepting that not all data paths require full encryption protection. This partial encryption approach provides sufficient security for the critical paths (data at rest, cross-system data transfer) while avoiding the excessive complexity that would result from encrypting every operational detail.
3Reliability
If data is stored on persistent storage devices, then data integrity during power failures is improved, but access speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into volatile memory tier for high-speed active data storage and persistent storage tier for reliable data integrity. The system uses this segmentation to maintain performance for frequently accessed data while ensuring reliability for all stored data, with controlled data movement between tiers based on access patterns and power status.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary caching of frequently accessed data in volatile memory before power failure occurs. This preliminary action ensures that critical data is already in the fast memory tier, minimizing the impact of slower persistent storage access speeds during normal operation and during power failure recovery scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, computer program product, and computing system for storing an unsecure data portion within a temporary storage device. An indication of a power failure event within the storage system is received. The unsecure data portion is processed to produce a secure data portion via a processor included within a first controller card included within the storage system. The secure data portion is stored on a persistent storage device via a second controller card.