Apparatus, System, and Method for Managing Data From a Requesting Device with an Empty Data Token Directive

1 . An apparatus for managing data, the apparatus comprising:

a token directive generation module that generates an empty data token directive comprising a request to store on a storage device a data segment token in response to a storage request for a requesting client wherein the data segment token substitutes for a data segment comprising an empty data segment; and

a token directive transmission module that transmits the empty data token directive to the storage device.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the token directive generation module generates both an empty data token directive and a secure erase command in response to a request to overwrite existing data on the storage device, the existing data identified on the storage device with a same data segment identifier as a data segment identifier in the empty data token directive, the secure erase command directing the storage device to modify the existing data such that the existing data is non-recoverable, wherein the token directive module further transmits the secure erase command.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an erase confirmation module that receives a confirmation that the existing data on the storage device has been overwritten such that the existing data is non-recoverable.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the token directive generation module generates both an empty data token directive and an encryption key erase command in response to a request to overwrite existing data on the storage device, the existing data identified on the storage device with a same data segment identifier as a data segment identifier in the empty data token directive, and wherein the existing data is encrypted using an encryption key received in conjunction with storing the existing data on the storage device, wherein the encryption key erase command erases the encryption key used to store the existing data so that the encryption key is non-recoverable.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the empty data token directive comprises the data segment token.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the empty data token directive does not comprise the data segment token and comprises a command for the storage device to generate the data segment token.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the empty data token directive further comprises at least one instance of repeated data from a series of repeated data.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the empty data token directive comprises one or more of a data segment identifier, a data segment length, and a data segment location.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a read token directive receiver module that receives a message from the storage device corresponding to the data segment token stored at the storage device in response to a storage request to read the data segment from the storage device, the message representative of the data segment; and

a requesting client response module that transmits a response to a requesting client formulated from the message received from the storage device.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a data segment regeneration module that reconstitutes data of the data segment using information contained in the message and wherein the response sent to the requesting client comprises the data segment.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the response sent to the requesting client comprises information contained in the message received from the storage device.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the message comprises the data segment token.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage request with the empty data token directive further comprises a request to reserve storage space on the storage device, the requested reserved storage space comprising an amount of storage space substantially similar to a length specified by the empty data token directive.

15 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the requesting client executing on a server, wherein the requesting client comprises at least one of an application, a file server, and a client.

21 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for managing data, the operations of the computer program product comprising:

generating a storage request with a an empty data token directive comprising a request to store on a storage device a data segment token in response to a data segment comprising a series of repeated data, the data segment token substituting for the data segment, the data segment token and the empty data token directive substantially free from data of the data segment; and

transmitting the empty data token directive to the storage device.

22 - 33 . (canceled)

34 . An apparatus for managing data, the apparatus comprising:

a token directive generation module that generates an empty data token directive comprising a request to store on a storage device an empty data segment in response to deletion of an associated data segment by a requesting client; and

a token directive transmission module that transmits the empty data token directive to the storage device.