General Purpose Distributed Encrypted File System

A system, which comprises:

• means for generating a block key;
• means for encrypting a data block with said block key;
• means for encrypting said block key with a public key associated with a user;
• means for associating said encrypted block key with said encrypted data block as crypto metadata;
• means for caching said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata;
• means for sending said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata a network file system server;
• and,
• means for clearing said cached encrypted data block and said crypto metadata upon receipt of a return code indicating successful writes of said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata by said network file system server.

A computer program product in computer readable storage, said computer program product comprising:

• instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium for means for generating a block key;
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for encrypting a data block with said block key;
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for encrypting said block key with a public key associated with a user;
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for associating said encrypted block key with said encrypted data block as crypto metadata;
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for caching said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata;
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for sending said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata a network file system server;
• and,
• instructions stored in said computer readable storage medium for clearing said cached encrypted data block and said crypto metadata upon receipt of a return code indicating successful writes of said encrypted data block and said crypto metadata by said network file system server.