Method and system for querying a secure database located on an untrusted device
AssigneeEMC IP Holding Company LLC
InventorsRadia Joy Perlman, Charles William Kaufman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In general, embodiments of the invention relates to a method for managing data, the method includes obtaining, by an untrusted device and from a querying system, an item query, identifying a leaf block of a hierarchical block tree associated with the item query, identifying a plurality of indirect blocks that allow the querying system to calculate a top hash of the hierarchical block tree, and sending an item query response to the querying system, wherein the item query response specifies the leaf block, the plurality of indirect hashes corresponding to the plurality of indirect blocks, and a signature of the top hash, wherein the signature is obtained from a trusted system.
Claims18
A method for managing data, the method comprising:
- obtaining, by an untrusted device of a plurality of untrusted devices and from a querying system, an item query corresponding to an item;
- identifying, by the untrusted device, a leaf block of a hierarchical block tree associated with the item query;
- identifying, by the untrusted device, a plurality of indirect blocks that allow the querying system to calculate a top hash of the hierarchical block tree;
- and
- sending, by the untrusted device, an item query response to the querying system, wherein the item query response specifies the leaf block, a plurality of indirect hashes corresponding to the plurality of indirect blocks, and a signature of the top hash, wherein the signature is obtained from a trusted system;
- after the sending the item query response, obtaining, by the trusted system, an update to the item;
- identifying, by the trusted system and in response to the update, the leaf block of the hierarchical block tree,
- updating, by the trusted system, the leaf block based on the update to the item to obtain an updated hierarchical block tree, wherein the updated hierarchical block tree comprises a second top hash;
- calculating, by the trusted system, a second signature using the second top hash and a private key of the trusted system;
- and
- initiating, by the trusted system, a distribution of the updated hierarchical block tree using the second signature to the plurality of untrusted devices.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of untrusted devices, wherein an untrusted device of the plurality of untrusted devices comprises:
- a processor;
- memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the untrusted device to perform a method, the method comprising:
- obtaining, from a querying system, an item query;
- identifying a leaf block of a hierarchical block tree associated with the item query;
- identifying a plurality of indirect blocks that allow the querying system to calculate a top hash of the hierarchical block tree;
- and
- sending an item query response to the querying system, wherein the item query response specifies the leaf block, a plurality of indirect hashes corresponding to the plurality of indirect blocks, and a signature of the top hash, wherein the signature is obtained from a trusted system;
- the trusted system comprising:
- a second processor;
- and
- second memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the second processor causes the trusted system to perform a second method, the second method comprising:
- after the sending the item query, obtaining an update to the item;
- identifying, in response to the update, the leaf block of the hierarchical block tree,
- updating the leaf block based on the update to the item to obtain an updated hierarchical block tree, wherein the updated hierarchical block tree corresponds to a second top hash;
- calculating a second signature using the second top hash and a private key of the trusted system;
- and
- initiating a distribution of the updated hierarchical block tree using the second signature to the plurality of untrusted devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.