IP Library Granted Patent US 9,141,821
Granted Patent B2
US 9,141,821 · App. 13/464,225 · Granted Sep 22, 2015

Selective encryption of data stored on removable media in an automated data storage library

Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman (Tucson, AZ); James Arthur Fisher (Tucson, AZ); Leonard George Jesionowski (Tucson, AZ)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
G06F21/6218G06F21/805G06F2221/2121
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,141,821
App. No.
13/464,225
Granted
Sep 22, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an automated data storage library, selective encryption for data stored or to be stored on removable media is provided. One or more encryption policies are established, each policy including a level of encryption, one or more encryption keys and the identity of one or more data cartridges. The encryption policies are stored in a policy table and the encryption keys are stored in a secure key server. A host requests access to a specified data cartridge and the cartridge is transported from a storage shelf in the library to a storage drive. Based on the identity of the specified cartridge, the corresponding encryption policy is selected from the table and the appropriate encryption key is obtained from the key server. The storage drive encrypts data in accordance with the key and stores the data on the media within the specified data cartridge.

Claims (31)

1. A system for selective encryption of data in a data storage drive within a data storage library, comprising:

a user interface through which to receive a user input of one or more encryption policies, each encryption policy including a level of encryption, one or more cartridge identifiers, each cartridge identifier providing an encryption key representing a data cartridge stored in the library, and each cartridge identifier providing an identification of an encryption key to be used to encrypt data written to media in a data cartridge;

at least one hardware processor device configured to:

obtain a cartridge identifier of a data cartridge loaded into the storage drive;

read one or more identifiers selected from the group comprising a bar code label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a non-bar code machine readable label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a value stored on media within the loaded data cartridge, a value stored within a cartridge memory of the loaded data cartridge, and an RFID tag affixed to the loaded data cartridge; and

match the cartridge identifier with an associated encryption policy stored in the storage drive, the matching of the cartridge identifier with the associated encryption policy being performed at the storage drive; and

a library-drive interface configured to:

transmit a request to a key server for an encryption key in response to matching the cartridge identifier with a corresponding encryption policy; and

receive the requested encryption key from the key server; and

an encryption controller to encrypt data to be written to the loaded data cartridge, where data stored in the data storage library is selectively encrypted.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a memory for storing the one or more encryption policies in an encryption policy table, wherein selecting an encryption policy for the specified data cartridge is performed by the storage drive.

3. A method for selective encryption of data in a storage drive within a data storage library, comprising:

receiving a user input of one or more encryption policies, the one or more encryption policies being stored in a memory of a library-drive interface, each encryption policy including a level of encryption, one or more cartridge identifiers, each cartridge identifier representing a data cartridge stored in the library, and each cartridge identifier providing an identification of an encryption key to be used to encrypt data written to media in a data cartridge;

obtaining a cartridge identifier of a data cartridge loaded into the storage drive;

reading one or more identifiers selected from the group comprising a bar code label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a non-bar code machine readable label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a value stored on media within the loaded data cartridge, a value stored within a cartridge memory of the loaded data cartridge, and an RFID tag affixed to the loaded data cartridge;

matching the cartridge identifier with an associated encryption policy stored in the storage drive, the matching of the cartridge identifier with the associated encryption policy being performed at the storage drive; and

using the library-drive interface to:

transmit a request to a key server for an encryption key in response to matching the cartridge identifier with a corresponding encryption policy; and

receive the requested encryption key from the key server; and

encrypting data to be written to the loaded data cartridge, where data stored in the data storage library is selectively encrypted.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing the one or more encryption policies in an encryption policy table, wherein selecting an encryption policy for the specified data cartridge is performed by the storage drive.

5. A computer program product for selective encryption of data in a storage drive within a data storage library using a processing device, the computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

computer code for receiving a user input of one or more encryption policies, the one or more encryption policies being stored in a memory of a library-drive interface, each encryption policy including a level of encryption, one or more cartridge identifiers, each cartridge identifier providing an encryption key representing a data cartridge stored in the library, and each cartridge identifier providing an identification of an encryption key to be used to encrypt data written to media in a data cartridge;

computer code for obtaining a cartridge identifier of a data cartridge loaded into the storage drive;

computer code for reading one or more identifiers selected from the group comprising a bar code label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a non-bar code machine readable label affixed to the loaded data cartridge, a value stored on media within the loaded data cartridge, a value stored within a cartridge memory of the loaded data cartridge, and an RFID tag affixed to the loaded data cartridge;

computer code for matching the cartridge identifier with an associated encryption policy stored in the storage drive, the matching of the cartridge identifier with the associated encryption policy being performed at the storage drive; and

computer code for using the library-drive interface to:

transmit a request to a key server for an encryption key in response to matching the cartridge identifier with a corresponding encryption policy; and

receive the requested encryption key from the key server; and

computer code for encrypting data to be written to the loaded data cartridge, where data stored in the data storage library is selectively encrypted.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , further comprising computer code for storing the one or more encryption policies in an encryption policy table, wherein selecting an encryption policy for the specified data cartridge is performed by the storage drive.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2013
From: GOODMAN, BRIAN GERARD; FISHER, JAMES ARTHUR; JESIONOWSKI, LEONARD GEORGE
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030791/0734 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 11470670 · Sep 7, 2006
Related Publication 20120239944A1 · Sep 20, 2012