Forensic Data Segmentation Controller for Parallel File Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data forensics faces inefficiencies in processing large datasets due to the inability to effectively apply parallel processing, leading to prolonged analysis times and the risk of missing critical data, as files are often fragmented across multiple segments analyzed by different processors.
Innovation Solution
Characterizing data before processing allows for the creation of complete file segments, ensuring each processor analyzes whole files, rather than fragments, by identifying file locations and structures, either through a central controller or distributed characterization by processors, thereby optimizing data distribution and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If data is divided into segments and distributed to multiple processors for parallel processing, then analysis time is reduced, but files may be fragmented across segments causing incomplete analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the electronic data to identify file boundaries and structures before dividing the data into segments. This preliminary action ensures that segments are created in a way that keeps complete files together, preventing fragmentation while enabling parallel processing across multiple processors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the electronic data into multiple segments and distributes them to different processors for parallel processing. By combining segmentation with preliminary characterization, the system maintains file integrity within segments while achieving the time benefits of parallel processing.
2Reliability
If traditional sequential processing is used to ensure complete file analysis, then reliability is maintained, but analysis time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary characterization of the electronic data structure to understand file boundaries and locations before processing. This allows the system to create segments that respect file boundaries, enabling parallel processing without compromising the completeness of file analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the data storage and multiple processors. It characterizes the data structure and manages segment distribution, ensuring that complete files are assigned to single processors while coordinating parallel processing across multiple processors to reduce overall analysis time.
3Reliability
If multiple passes over the data are performed for different analysis processes, then comprehensive analysis is achieved, but processing time and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple analysis processes into a single pass over the data. By characterizing the data structure beforehand and distributing complete files to processors, each processor can perform multiple types of analysis on its assigned files simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple sequential passes and improving processing throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for conducting a forensic analysis of electronic data having files and information indicative of a location of each of the files. The system has processors and a controller. The controller is configured to characterize the electronic data based, at least in part, on the files and the information indicative of the location of each of the files to obtain a characterization and distribute segments of the electronic data to the processors based, at least in part, on the characterization, each of the processors corresponding to at least one of the segments and each of the segments corresponding to at least one of the processors. Each one of the processors is configured to process each corresponding one of the segments to identify at least one characteristic of each corresponding one of the segments.