Distributed File System Migration Mapping for Secure Permissions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional techniques fail to systematically and predictably migrate an existing distributed file system (DFS) to a new DFS, often resulting in insecure configurations due to manual guesses about users, groups, files, and permissions, exposing sensitive information to disclosure or tampering.

Innovation Solution

A computer system utilizing machine learning techniques to analyze existing DFS metadata, generate similarity scores, and recommend secure groups, folders, and permissions for the new DFS, enabling automated and secure migration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional manual migration techniques are used, then migration flexibility is maintained, but security and accuracy deteriorate due to human error and lack of systematic approach

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration securityVSAvoidmigration automation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing the existing DFS metadata, generating similarity scores, and creating migration mappings without requiring manual intervention. The computer system independently completes the migration analysis and recommendation generation, reducing human error while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with automated computational systems. Instead of human analysts manually comparing files and users, the system uses algorithms to calculate similarity scores and generate migration mappings, improving both speed and accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If broad permissions are granted during migration, then migration speed increases, but data security deteriorates due to exposure to disclosure or tampering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration speedVSAvoiddata security risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the existing DFS structure, user metadata, and file metadata before migration occurs. By pre-calculating similarity scores and generating recommended permissions based on analyzed data, the system ensures secure permission mapping is established before actual migration, preventing security risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback by generating and presenting recommended groupings, folder structures, and permission mappings to users for review and approval. This feedback mechanism allows verification of security settings before final migration, ensuring that broad permissions are not inadvertently granted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If manual interview of each department is conducted to determine access rights, then permission accuracy improves, but time consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepermission accuracyVSAvoidmigration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service analysis by automatically processing existing DFS metadata, user information, and file data to generate permission recommendations. This eliminates the time-consuming manual interview process while maintaining accuracy through systematic algorithmic analysis of the entire data structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the approach from qualitative manual assessment to quantitative automated analysis. By transforming metadata into comparable parameters and calculating similarity scores, the system achieves both speed and precision in permission mapping without requiring departmental interviews.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If existing DFS configuration is replicated in new DFS, then migration simplicity increases, but security deteriorates due to outdated or insecure configurations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration simplicityVSAvoidconfiguration security

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of simply replicating the existing DFS configuration (the conventional approach), the system inverts the process by analyzing the existing structure and generating an optimized recommended configuration. This inversion allows the system to maintain simplicity while improving security by identifying and correcting outdated or insecure configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the existing DFS metadata, user information, and file structure as the basis for migration. By working with accurate copies of the existing data, the system can generate recommended configurations that reflect the actual usage patterns while improving security, rather than relying on incomplete or inaccurate information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12417207B2File system migration mapping

Publication Date: 2025.09.16 CDW LLC

AI summary

A computing system and method for mapping a migration to a new distributed file system is provided. A method may include receiving file system metadata from an existing distributed file system, comparing permissions for each file and each user, generating a plurality of recommended groups, recommended folders, and recommended permissions, and presenting the recommended groups, recommended folders, and recommended permissions to a user.