Selective Virtual Disk Cloning via Sensitive Data Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional virtual disk systems copy all files from a physical disk, including unnecessary and sensitive data, which can compromise security and efficiency by storing unnecessary files, such as passwords and financial information, within the virtual machine's disk.
Innovation Solution
The system selectively clones portions of a disk volume to create a virtual disk by marking and omitting folders containing sensitive data or unnecessary files, using maps to redirect, modify, and remap sectors, allowing only trusted files to be included, thereby creating a minimal and secure virtual disk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all files are copied to the virtual disk, then the virtual machine has access to all data, but sensitive information is exposed and storage space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the disk volume into multiple sections: cloned sections (containing trusted files to be copied to the virtual disk) and uncloned sections (containing sensitive or unnecessary files to be excluded). This segmentation allows selective copying of only the necessary portions of the disk, thereby protecting sensitive data while optimizing storage space usage in the virtual disk.
2Productivity
If all files are copied to the virtual disk, then complete data availability is achieved, but storage time and resources are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by cloning only the necessary portions of the disk volume that contain trusted files required for virtual machine operation, rather than copying all files. This selective approach reduces the time and resources required for disk creation and maintenance while ensuring that all necessary files remain accessible to the virtual machine.
3Reliability
If sensitive data is included in the virtual disk, then data completeness is maintained, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts sensitive or unnecessary files from the disk volume and places them in uncloned sections that are excluded from the virtual disk creation process. By taking out these potentially harmful elements before cloning, the system ensures that only trusted files are copied to the virtual disk, thereby eliminating security vulnerabilities while maintaining data completeness for necessary files.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods create virtual disks for access by a virtual machine. The virtual disk can be created from marked folders such that files and folders containing sensitive data or data not necessary for the purpose of a virtual machine using the virtual disk can be omitted from the virtual disk.