Covert channel for conveying supplemental messages in a protocol-defined link for a system of storage devices

1. A communication apparatus for conveying supplemental messages via a link between a host and a point within a system of storage devices, the communication apparatus comprising:

a link interface configured to communicatively couple the communication apparatus to the link for accessing a data stream passing through the link in accordance with a standardized protocol; and

a supplemental message interface configured to exchange a supplemental message with the data stream to establish a covert communication channel in the link, the supplemental message interface including a supplemental message observer configured to identify a supplemental downlink message in the data stream, the supplemental message observer including:

a downlink receiver configured to:

identify a portion of the supplemental downlink message, and

acquire the portion of the supplemental downlink message, the downlink receiver being responsive to a first protocol-compliant message, and

a supplemental message composition buffer configured to compose the supplemental downlink message from a number of portions of the supplemental downlink message;

wherein the supplemental message supplements the standardized protocol.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the covert communication channel introduces the supplemental messages in the data stream such that the link maintains compliance with the standardized protocol.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the covert communication channel embeds the supplemental messages in the data stream without either altering protocol-compliant data of the data stream or accessing the system of storage devices to alter data stored therein, or both.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental message comprises a supplemental command configured to perform a storage-related function at a point within the system of storage devices, thereby performing the storage-related function downstream from the host.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link is a serial link.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental message interface comprises a supplemental message interposer for interposing the supplemental message within the data stream.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the supplemental message interposer is configured to interpose portions of the supplemental message with portions of the data stream.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the supplemental message interposer comprises:

an uplink transmitter configured to transmit a portion of a supplemental uplink message, the uplink transmitter being responsive to a second protocol-compliant message.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second protocol-compliant message includes a non-write command that returns a response message.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first protocol-compliant message includes a read command.

11. A supplemental message originator for use in a host computing device to establish a covert channel via a protocol-compliant link through which a data stream passes between the host computing device and a storage-related device in accordance with a protocol, the supplemental message originator comprising:

a message controller configured to format a first message undefined by the protocol to generate a first formatted message for transmission over the protocol-compliant link;

a host downlink transmitter configured to integrate the first formatted message into the data stream, thereby establishing at least a portion of a covert communication channel for conveying the formatted message via the protocol-compliant link; and

a host uplink receiver configured to acquire a second formatted message undefined by the protocol, thereby establishing at least a second portion of the covert communication channel;

wherein the covert communication channel facilitates transmissions of noncompliant messages over the protocol-compliant link in compliance with the protocol; and

wherein the message controller is further configured to:

detect other packets from the second portion of the covert communication channel, and

reconstruct a second message from the second formatted message in the other packets.

12. The supplemental message originator of claim 11 wherein the message controller is further configured to:

decompose the first message into portions of the first message;

determine offsets for the portions of the first message, the portions of the first message and the offsets constituting the first formatted message; and

include a portion of the first message and an offset in a packet of the portion of the covert communication channel.

13. The supplemental message originator of claim 12 , wherein the packet further includes a READ command compliant with the protocol.

14. The supplemental message originator of claim 11 , wherein the second packet further includes a response to an IDENTIFY DEVICE command compliant with the protocol.

15. A communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , or 10 , wherein the standardized protocol is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (“SATA”) protocol.

16. A supplemental message originator according to any one of claims 11 , 12 , 13 , or 14 , wherein the standardized protocol is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (“SATA”) protocol.