Encryption for Data Redundancy in Deduplication Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Data deduplication systems often conflict with redundancy requirements in computing environments, leading to potential data loss and inadequate protection for critical data, as they eliminate duplicate copies, which can be detrimental to applications relying on multiple physical copies for redundancy.

Innovation Solution

A method where selected data segments are encrypted to prevent deduplication, allowing applications to maintain redundancy by tricking the deduplication system into treating identical data as new, thereby allocating new storage space for each copy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If data deduplication is implemented to reduce storage requirements, then storage efficiency is improved, but data redundancy is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoiddata redundancy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different quality treatments to different data segments: critical data segments are encrypted to preserve redundancy, while non-critical segments undergo deduplication. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing storage efficiency for general data while maintaining reliability for critical data through selective encryption that prevents deduplication of important segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Encryption serves as an intermediary mechanism between the deduplication system and critical data. By introducing encryption as a intermediate layer, the system allows the deduplication engine to operate without directly eliminating critical duplicates, thus preserving redundancy for important data while maintaining overall storage efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If deduplication eliminates duplicate data copies, then storage space is optimized, but data protection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space utilizationVSAvoiddata loss risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by encrypting critical data segments before they enter the deduplication process. This pre-encryption creates a protective barrier that prevents the deduplication system from eliminating necessary duplicate copies, thereby counteracting the harmful effect of data loss risk while maintaining storage optimization for non-critical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The encryption process changes the parameter of data segments by transforming their content into encrypted form. This parameter change makes encrypted segments appear unique to the deduplication system, preventing elimination of critical duplicates and thus reducing data loss risk while allowing continued storage optimization elsewhere in the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If encryption is applied to prevent deduplication, then data redundancy is preserved, but storage efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata redundancyVSAvoidstorage efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by encrypting only critical data segments rather than all data. This selective approach preserves redundancy for important segments while allowing deduplication to continue for non-critical segments, thus maintaining overall storage efficiency while achieving the reliability goal for critical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

Different quality treatments are applied locally to different data segments: critical segments receive encryption to preserve redundancy, while non-critical segments undergo deduplication for efficiency. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by limiting encryption's storage overhead impact to only necessary segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8996881B2Preserving redundancy in data deduplication systems by encryption
Publication Date: 2015.03.31 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US8996881B2 patent drawing
  • US8996881B2 patent drawing
  • US8996881B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Various embodiments for preserving data redundancy in a data deduplication system in a computing environment are provided. A selected data segment, to be written through the data deduplication system, is encrypted such that the selected data segment is not subject to a deduplication operation. Other system and computer program product embodiments are disclosed and provide related advantages.