Multi-site Data Replication with Split Encryption Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disaster recovery networks using widely distributed data centers are vulnerable to data access attacks because remote disaster recovery sites are not as securely protected as the primary site, and existing data splitting methods do not adequately prevent data reconstruction or optimize storage and recovery processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an encryption-based data security scheme where data is split and encrypted across multiple remote sites, requiring access to at least two or three sites to reconstruct the data, using public key systems to manage encryption keys and ensure secure data replication and failover processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is replicated to remote disaster recovery sites, then data availability for recovery purposes is improved, but data security is worsened because remote sites are not as tightly protected as the primary site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the encryption key into multiple segments and distributes them across different remote sites. Each site stores only a portion of the key, making it impossible to decrypt data without accessing multiple sites. This segmentation approach maintains data availability at remote sites while mitigating security risks by ensuring that no single compromised site can access the full data.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If data is split and sent to multiple remote sites, then data security is improved, but storage space requirements are worsened as every site must have capacity for full data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments both the data and its encryption key across multiple remote sites. Each site stores only a fragment of the encrypted data and a corresponding segment of the decryption key, rather than storing complete copies. This allows security to be improved through distribution while optimizing storage utilization by eliminating redundant full-data storage at each site.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If data is split into multiple parts for transmission to remote sites, then data security is improved, but recovery time is worsened due to delayed reconstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-distributing encrypted data segments and their corresponding key segments to multiple remote sites before any disaster occurs. The data is encrypted and split in advance, with each segment stored at different locations. When a disaster strikes, recovery can begin immediately by aggregating the pre-positioned segments rather than waiting for data reconstruction, thus maintaining security while reducing recovery time.
Data Source
AI summary
Securely replicating backup data in a network having a production site and a plurality of remote sites by generating in the production site a data encryption key, and in each remote site a respective key encryption key that are sent to the production site; encrypting a plurality of encrypted keys using the plurality of key encryption keys with one encrypted key per remote site, and transmitting to each remote site the encrypted keys for the other remote sites and not a remote site's own encrypted key; encrypting the data to create encrypted data blocks using the data encryption key; designating a selected remote site to become the new production site if the production site fails; and receiving in the new production site from a remaining remote site a key encryption key generated by the remaining remote site to enable the new production site to decrypt the data encryption key and use the decrypted data encryption key to decrypt the encrypted data blocks.