Method and apparatus for the secure distributed storage and retrieval of information

A computer implemented method for the secure distributed storage and retrieval of information of a user in a storage system including a plurality of servers comprising:

• for a given transaction, designating one server of said plurality of servers as a gateway server for the user;
• depositing a file from the user to the storage system via the gateway server;
• distributing by the gateway server by dispersing the file among a plurality of servers within said storage system;
• receiving by the gateway server an acknowledgment from each of the servers in the storage system receiving parts of the dispersed file;
• generating by the gateway server an authenticated proof that said storage system received and correctly stored the file, said proof being provided even when at least one of said servers malfunctions due to a failure;
• responding by the gateway server to a user request for a previously stored file by forwarding the request to all servers in the storage system;
• checking by each server to determine if the user making the request has permission to access the requested file;
• if the user making the request has permission to access the requested file, sending by each server in the storage system their respective shares of the stored file and hashes of all shares to the gateway server;
• determining by the gateway server good shares from a majority of hashes received from other servers and reconstituting the file using an information dispersal algorithm;
• and
• sending the reconstituted file to the user.

A storage and retrieval system comprising:

• a plurality of servers connected in a communication network having a protocol which enables information files to be stored distributively throughout the network of servers and information files to be retrieved by any single server in the network using a retrieval protocol, one of said servers being designated as a gateway server for a user of the storage and retrieval system for a given transaction;
• and
• a computer capable of accessing the gateway server by a communication link established with said network, said computer depositing a file from the user to the storage and retrieval system via the designated gateway server, the designated gateway server distributing the file among a plurality of servers within said storage and retrieval system, the gateway server receiving an acknowledgment from each of the servers in the storage system receiving parts of the dispersed file, the gateway server generating an authenticated proof that said storage system received and correctly stored the file, said proof being provided even when at least one of said servers malfunctions due to a failure, the gateway server responding to a user request for a previously stored file by forwarding the request to all servers in the storage system, each server checking to determine if the user making the request has permission to access the requested file, each server sending their respective shares of the stored file and hashes of all shares to the gateway server if the user making the request has permission to access the requested file, the gateway server determining good shares from a majority of hashes received from other servers and reconstituting the file using an information dispersal algorithm and sending the reconstituted file to said computer.