Data processing system having failover between hardware and software encryption of storage data
US9787522B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 10, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 9, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/24
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer of a data processing system includes a software encryption engine and path circuitry that initially provides one or more paths for conveying data of storage I/O requests to and from a storage device, the paths including an encrypting path having a hardware encrypting component. According to a failover technique, in a first operating state, (a) the data of the storage I/O requests is conveyed via the encrypting path with encryption and decryption of the data being performed by the hardware encrypting component, and (b) monitoring is performed for occurrence of an event indicating that the hardware encrypting component has become unavailable for encrypting and decrypting the data of the storage I/O requests. Upon occurrence of the event, if the path circuitry provides a non-encrypting path for conveying the data of the storage I/O requests to and from the storage device, then operation is switched to a second operating state in which the data of the storage I/O requests is conveyed via the non-encrypting path and is encrypted and decrypted by the software encryption engine. A failback technique provides for reverting to hardware-assisted encryption under proper circumstanc…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.