# US 10,120,756 B2 · Audit object generation in a dispersed storage network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,756 B2 - Document ID: US10120756B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/217,585 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-17 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Jason K. Resch; Wesley B. Leggette - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120756B2 ## CPC - G06F 11/1076: {Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems} - G06F 3/06: Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers {, e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers} - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 11/00: Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring (error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00) - G06F 11/1612: {where the redundant component is persistent storage} - G06F 15/17331: {Distributed shared memory [DSM], e.g. remote direct memory access [RDMA]} - G06F 21/6272: {by registering files or documents with a third party} - G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures - H04L 9/085: {Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes} - H04L 9/0863: {involving passwords or one-time passwords (network architectures or network communication protocols for using one-time keys in a packet data network H04L63/067)} - H04L 9/0869: {involving random numbers or seeds} - H04L 9/0877: {using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]} - H04L 9/0894: {Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage} - H04L 9/32: including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} - H04L 9/321: {involving a third party or a trusted authority} - H04L 9/3263: {involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)} - H04L 63/123: {received data contents, e.g. message integrity} - G06F 11/1446: Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data - G06F 2211/1028: Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity - H04L 9/00: {Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic} arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - H04L 2209/16: Obfuscation or hiding, e.g. involving white box - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for execution by a dispersed storage and task (DST) processing unit includes obtaining audit records for an audit object and determining when the audit object is complete. When the audit object is complete, aggregating the audit records of the audit object within the audit object by generating the audit object to include the audit records; generating identifier (ID) information and generating integrity information. Fields of the audit object are populated with the audit records, the ID information, and the integrity information and a name of the audit object is determined for storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object in a dispersed storage network (DSN). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for execution by a dispersed storage and task (DST) processing unit that includes a processor, the method comprises: obtaining audit records for an audit object; determining when the audit object is complete, based on comparing a number of audit records of the audit object to an audit record threshold; when the audit object is complete, aggregating the audit records of the audit object within the audit object by generating the audit object to include the audit records; generating identifier (ID) information; generating integrity information; populating fields of the audit object with the audit records, the ID information, and the integrity information; determining a name of the audit object; and facilitating storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object in a dispersed storage network (DSN). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the name of the audit object is determined based on a virtual DSN address associated with accessing the audit object when stored as a plurality of audit object slices in the DSN. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the name of the audit object includes at least one of: a text string name, a sequence number or a timestamp when created or a timestamp associated with when the audit object may be deleted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of: utilizing an ID associated with the DST processing unit, querying another device of the DSN for the ID information or receiving the ID information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of obtaining a certificate, generating a signature of the certificate, or calculating a hash of the audit object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object includes at least one of: sending the audit object and the name of the audit object to the DSN for storage or storing the audit object and the name of the audit object in the DSN. ### Claim 7 A processing system of a dispersed storage and task (DST) processing unit comprises: at least one processor; a memory that stores operational instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor cause the processing system to: obtain audit records for an audit object; determine when the audit object is complete, based on comparing a number of audit records of the audit object to an audit record threshold; when the audit object is complete, aggregate the audit records of the audit object within the audit object by generating the audit object to include the audit records; generate identifier (ID) information; generate integrity information; populate fields of the audit object with the audit records, the ID information, and the integrity information; determine a name of the audit object; and facilitate storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object in a dispersed storage network (DSN). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The processing system of claim 7 wherein the name of the audit object is determined based on a virtual DSN address associated with accessing the audit object when stored as a plurality of audit object slices in the DSN. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The processing system of claim 7 wherein the name of the audit object includes at least one of: a text string name, a sequence number or a timestamp when created or a timestamp associated with when the audit object may be deleted. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The processing system of claim 7 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of: utilizing an ID associated with the DST processing unit, querying another device of the DSN for the ID information or receiving the ID information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The processing system of claim 7 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of obtaining a certificate, generating a signature of the certificate, or calculating a hash of the audit object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The processing system of claim 7 wherein facilitating storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object includes at least one of: sending the audit object and the name of the audit object to the DSN for storage or storing the audit object and the name of the audit object in the DSN. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises: at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a dispersed storage network (DSN) that includes a processor and a memory, causes the processing system to: obtain audit records for an audit object; determine when the audit object is complete, based on comparing a number of audit records of the audit object to an audit record threshold; when the audit object is complete, aggregate the audit records of the audit object within the audit object by generating the audit object to include the audit records; generate identifier (ID) information; generate integrity information; populate fields of the audit object with the audit records, the ID information, and the integrity information; determine a name of the audit object; and facilitate storage of the audit object and the name of the audit object in a dispersed storage network (DSN). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The processing system of claim 13 wherein the name of the audit object is determined based on a virtual DSN address associated with accessing the audit object when stored as a plurality of audit object slices in the DSN. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The processing system of claim 13 wherein the name of the audit object includes at least one of: a text string name, a sequence number or a timestamp when created or a timestamp associated with when the audit object may be deleted. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The processing system of claim 13 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of: utilizing an ID associated with a DST processing unit, querying another device of the DSN for the ID information or receiving the ID information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The processing system of claim 13 wherein generating the integrity information includes at least one of obtaining a certificate, generating a signature of the certificate, or calculating a hash of the audit object.