Encrypted Logical Data Objects with Chunk Indexing for Storage Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current storage technologies face challenges in securely storing data by balancing encryption with minimal impact on data accessibility and manageability, particularly in combining compression and encryption of logical data objects.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that encrypt plaintext logical data objects by breaking them into chunks, processing each chunk into fixed-size segments, and encrypting them using a secure key combined with an initialization vector, while maintaining an index section for mapping and facilitating efficient storage and retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data is encrypted for secure storage, then security is improved, but data accessibility and manageability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddata accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides data into fixed-size segments before encryption, allowing selective access to individual segments without decrypting the entire dataset. This segmentation enables fine-grained access control and improves data accessibility while maintaining security through encrypted storage of individual segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an indexing mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the encrypted data and access requests. The index stores metadata about encrypted segments without containing the actual encrypted data, enabling efficient location and retrieval of specific encrypted segments without compromising security or accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If compression is applied to reduce storage capacity, then storage efficiency is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies compression to data segments before encryption during the initial data preparation phase. By pre-compressing data before it enters the encryption and storage pipeline, the system reduces the overall data volume that needs to be encrypted and stored, improving storage efficiency without adding complexity to the core encryption process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8819454B2Systems and methods for transformation of logical data objects for storage
Publication Date: 2014.08.26 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US8819454B2 patent drawing
  • US8819454B2 patent drawing
  • US8819454B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods for encrypting a plaintext logical data object for storage in a storage device operable with at least one storage protocol, creating, reading, writing, optimization and restoring thereof. Encrypting the plaintext logical data object comprises creating in the storage device an encrypted logical data object comprising a header and one or more allocated encrypted sections with predefined size; encrypting one or more sequentially obtained chunks of plaintext data corresponding to the plaintext logical data object thus giving rise to the encrypted data chunks; and sequentially accommodating the processed data chunks into said encrypted sections in accordance with an order said chunks received, wherein said encrypted sections serve as atomic elements of encryption/decryption operations during input/output transactions on the logical data object.