Distributed Database Fragmentation and Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed databases face inefficiencies in data retrieval and increased security vulnerabilities due to the complexity of data distribution across multiple nodes, leading to higher computational demands and increased risks of data breaches.
Innovation Solution
A distributed database system that divides data elements into fragments linked to specific aspects, using encryption to ensure only complete sets can decrypt the data, and employs forwarding rules to securely share encrypted fragments across nodes, enhancing efficiency and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is distributed across multiple nodes in a distributed database, then system expandability and fault tolerance are improved, but data retrieval complexity and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data elements into multiple data fragments, where each fragment is linked to a specific aspect of the data element. This segmentation allows the distributed database to store fragments across different nodes based on aspect-based routing, improving expandability while managing retrieval complexity through structured organization rather than random distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces aspect-based intermediaries that act as mediators between data retrieval requests and stored fragments. Aspects serve as intermediate classification layers that simplify the search process by organizing fragments according to their semantic meaning, reducing the computational overhead of searching across distributed nodes.
2Reliability
If data is distributed across multiple nodes, then system reliability is improved, but security vulnerability increases due to more communication links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments complete data elements into multiple data fragments that are distributed across different nodes. Each fragment alone is insufficient to reconstruct the original data, providing inherent security against node compromise. This segmentation maintains system reliability through distribution while mitigating security vulnerabilities by ensuring that no single node contains complete sensitive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by encrypting data fragments with node-specific encryption keys before storage. Each node possesses only the encryption capability relevant to its stored fragments, ensuring that even if a node is compromised, the attacker cannot decrypt fragments stored at other nodes. This localized encryption approach enhances security while maintaining the distributed architecture's reliability benefits.
3Reliability
If data elements are divided into fragments and stored across nodes, then security is improved through encryption, but data retrieval efficiency decreases due to fragment collection and reassembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where nodes provide information about the availability and location of data fragments to the system coordinator. This feedback enables the system to optimize fragment retrieval paths and predict which nodes will have the required fragments, reducing the time and computational resources needed to collect and reassemble fragments while maintaining security through encrypted storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed database comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes. Each node may include an external interface configured to receive a data element from a data source external to the distributed database. The data element may include one or more data fragments. Each of the one or more data fragments may be linked to a single aspect of a plurality of aspects. The external interface may also be configured to divide the data element into the one or more data fragments. Each node may also include a local database configured to store the one or more data fragments. Each node may further include an internal interface configured to send the one or more data fragments to a destination node within the distributed database.