IP Library Granted Patent US 11,720,692
Granted Patent B2
US 11,720,692 · App. 17/039,486 · Granted Aug 8, 2023

Hardware token based management of recovery datasets for a storage system

Inventors: Ethan L. Miller (Santa Cruz, CA); Ronald Karr (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
G06F21/604G06F11/1469G06F16/2365G06F21/602H04L9/30H04L9/3213G06F2201/84
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,720,692
App. No.
17/039,486
Filed
Sep 30, 2020
Granted
Aug 8, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2499
USPC
713/193
Abstract

An illustrative method includes a data protection system detecting a request to perform a restricted operation with respect to a recovery dataset configured to be used by a storage system to recover from a data corruption event within the storage system, monitoring, in response to the request, for an occurrence of a predetermined set of one or more authorization events performed with one or more hardware tokens, and preventing the restricted operation from being executed until the each of the one or more authorization events included in the predetermined set occurs.

Claims (45)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a storage system from a source external to the storage system, a request to perform a restricted operation with respect to a snapshot configured to be used by the storage system to recover from a data corruption event associated with the storage system;

monitoring, by the storage system in response to the request received from the source external to the storage system to perform the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot, for an occurrence of a predetermined set of one or more authorization events performed with one or more hardware tokens;

detecting, by the storage system while performing the monitoring, that each of the one or more authorization events included in the predetermined set is performed with the one or more hardware tokens;

verifying, by the storage system, that the one or more hardware tokens are authorized to be used with the storage system; and

executing, by the storage system based on the detecting that each of the one or more authorization events is performed and on the verifying, the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the snapshot is stored within an additional storage system remote from the storage system; and

the executing the restricted operation comprises directing the additional storage system to perform the restricted operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the occurrence of the predetermined set of one or more authorization events comprises a communicative coupling of the one or more hardware tokens with one or more hardware token readers associated with the storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

encrypting, by the storage system, the snapshot with a key that is then encrypted with a public key;

wherein the occurrence of the predetermined set of one or more authorization events comprises a transmission of a private key corresponding to the public key from the one or more hardware tokens to the storage system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a total of N hardware tokens are authorized to be used with the storage system, where N is an integer greater than two; and

the predetermined set of one or more authorization events comprises authorization events performed by at least M hardware tokens included in the N hardware tokens, where M is an integer greater than one.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the monitoring further comprises monitoring for an occurrence of a predetermined additional set of one or more non-hardware token based authorization events; and

the executing the restricted operation is further based on each of the one or more authorization events included in the predetermined additional set occurring.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing, by the storage system, the restricted operation from being executed unless the one or more authorization events occur within a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by the storage system prior to the request, an anomaly associated with the storage system; and

directing, by the storage system prior to the request and in response to detecting the anomaly, the storage system to generate the snapshot.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, by the storage system, a plurality of snapshots over time, the snapshots usable to restore data maintained by the storage system to a state corresponding to a selectable point in time;

wherein the snapshot is included in the plurality of snapshots.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data corruption event comprises a ransomware attack against the storage system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the snapshot comprises a snapshot of a storage structure within the storage system.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restricted operation is configured to perform a modification of a retention duration for the snapshot, the retention duration defining a duration that the snapshot is saved before being deleted.

13. A storage system comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to:

receive, from a source external to the storage system, a request to perform a restricted operation with respect to a snapshot configured to be used by the storage system to recover from a data corruption event associated with the storage system;

monitor, in response to the request received from the source external to the storage system to perform the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot, for an occurrence of a predetermined set of one or more authorization events performed with one or more hardware tokens;

detect, while performing the monitoring, that each of the one or more authorization events included in the predetermined set is performed with the one or more hardware tokens;

verify that the one or more hardware tokens are authorized to be used with the storage system; and

execute, based on the detecting that each of the one or more authorization events is performed and on the verifying, the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot.

14. The storage system of claim 13 , wherein the restricted operation is configured to perform a modification of a retention duration for the snapshot, the retention duration defining a duration that the snapshot is saved before being deleted.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, direct a processor of a storage system to:

receive, from a source external to the storage system, a request to perform a restricted operation with respect to a snapshot configured to be used by the storage system to recover from a data corruption event associated with the storage system;

monitor, in response to the request received from the source external to the storage system to perform the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot, for an occurrence of a predetermined set of one or more authorization events performed with one or more hardware tokens;

detect, while performing the monitoring, that each of the one or more authorization events included in the predetermined set is performed with the one or more hardware tokens;

verify that the one or more hardware tokens are authorized to be used with the storage system; and

execute, based on the detecting that each of the one or more authorization events is performed and on the verifying, the restricted operation with respect to the snapshot.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the restricted operation is configured to perform a modification of a retention duration for the snapshot, the retention duration defining a duration that the snapshot is saved before being deleted.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: MILLER, ETHAN L.; KARR, RONALD
To: PURE STORAGE, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053938/0853 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 16711060 · Dec 11, 2019
Provisional Application 62985229 · Mar 4, 2020
Provisional Application 62939518 · Nov 22, 2019
Related Publication 20210216646A1 · Jul 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,306,941