Storage Device Integrating VPN Client for Secure Point-to-Point Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage systems require multiple secure connections, increasing security risks and latency, and incur significant operational costs due to the need for separate security servers, which are costly to maintain and operate.
Innovation Solution
Integrating network security into storage devices, allowing them to autonomously discover and establish secure connections with other devices, eliminating the need for external security servers by using a VPN client and network adapter for point-to-point connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional storage systems use multiple secure connections through external security servers, then security management is centralized, but security risks and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the security server function from the external infrastructure and embeds it directly into the storage device. The storage device now includes an integrated VPN client and network adapter that can independently establish secure connections, eliminating the need for separate external security servers and reducing connection hops that cause latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple previously separate functions (storage operations, security management, VPN client, network adapter) into a single integrated storage device. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate secure connections through external servers, directly reducing latency while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If conventional storage systems use external security servers, then security management is centralized, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the external security server component from the system architecture and transfers its security management functions directly to the storage devices. This eliminates the need to operate and maintain separate security server infrastructure, directly reducing operational costs while preserving centralized security policies through the integrated VPN client.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage device becomes self-sufficient in establishing and managing its own secure connections through the integrated VPN client and network adapter. Each storage device independently handles its own security requirements without relying on external security servers, reducing the operational burden and costs of maintaining centralized security infrastructure.
3Ease of operation
If storage devices autonomously establish secure connections, then deployment simplicity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the VPN client, network adapter, and storage functions into a single integrated device. While this increases the internal complexity of the storage device, it eliminates the need for separate external security servers and simplifies the overall system deployment by reducing the number of components that need to be configured and connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage device with integrated VPN client and network adapter can autonomously discover other devices and establish secure connections without requiring external security server configuration. This self-service capability simplifies deployment and configuration for users while the internal device complexity is encapsulated within the storage device itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for independently secured storage are described. In one embodiment, a storage device includes a network adapter to discover a remote storage device and a virtual private network (VPN) client to establish a secure connection between the storage device and the remote storage device. In some cases, the secure connection includes a point-to-point connection between the storage device and the remote storage device.