Secure Database Data Deletion via Converter Page Encryption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional data deletion techniques in databases consume significant processing resources, leading to performance issues and inability to securely delete data in a permanent manner.

Innovation Solution

A data storage application encrypts data pages and converter pages using initialization vectors and encryption keys, allowing secure deletion by making encrypted pages inaccessible after new converter pages are stored, ensuring permanent data removal with minimal performance impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional data deletion techniques (repeatedly overwriting data) are used, then secure deletion is achieved, but processing resources are significantly consumed and database performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure deletionVSAvoiddatabase performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the deletion operation from the data pages themselves and relocates it to converter pages. Instead of modifying or overwriting data pages directly, the system creates new converter pages that redirect to different physical locations, effectively extracting the deletion logic from the stored data and placing it in a separate metadata structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces converter pages as an intermediary layer between the logical data pages and their physical storage locations. These converter pages act as mediators that redirect access to the actual data, allowing deletion to be achieved by simply updating or removing the intermediary redirectors rather than directly modifying the data pages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If data is deleted using conventional overwriting methods, then permanent removal is achieved, but processing time and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermanent data removalVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-encrypting data pages and organizing them with converter pages before deletion is needed. When deletion is required, the system simply needs to update the converter page pointers rather than performing time-consuming overwriting operations, thus achieving rapid permanent removal through pre-prepared cryptographic protection and metadata structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses converter pages as copies or proxies that represent the actual data pages. Instead of modifying the original data pages directly, the system creates and updates these proxy references, allowing deletion to be achieved by manipulating the copies rather than the originals, significantly reducing processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If encryption is applied to data pages for secure storage, then data security is improved, but access complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidaccess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the encryption system into two distinct components: encrypted data pages and unencrypted converter pages. The data pages remain encrypted for security, while the converter pages that manage access are kept unencrypted and separate, allowing the system to maintain strong encryption protection while simplifying the access path through the unencrypted metadata layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8694796B2Secure data deletion in a database
Publication Date: 2014.04.08 SAP SE
  • US8694796B2 patent drawing
  • US8694796B2 patent drawing
  • US8694796B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A data storage application encrypts one or more data pages using a first initialization vector and one or more encryption keys. In addition, the data storage application encrypts one or more converter pages using a second initialization vector and the encryption key(s). The first initialization vector uses the converter page(s) to encrypt the data page(s). The encrypted data page(s) and the converter page(s) are stored to physical storage. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.