Data storage system and method by shredding and deshredding

A method comprising:

• performing data operations on initial data to obtain a plurality of shreds, the data operations comprising a transformation operation and a redundancy operation;
• generating at least one tag for each shred, the at least one tag comprising information identifying the data operations performed on the initial data, and indicating a shred order of operations, the shred order of operations being an order in which the data operations were performed;
• storing the plurality of shreds on at least one storage unit;
• selecting a portion of the plurality of shreds;
• for at least one of the selection portion of the plurality of shreds, reading the at least one tag generated for the shred to identify an operation inverse to each of the data operations;
• and
• performing the operations inverse to each of the data operations on the selected portion of the plurality of shreds in accordance with a deshred order of operations to thereby recover the initial data, the deshred order of operations being an inverse of the shred order of operations.

A method comprising:

• performing each of a series of data operations to produce resulting data for each of the series of data operations, the plurality of data operations comprising a first data operation performed on initial data, and a last data operation performed after the first data operation, the resulting data of the last data operation being a plurality of shreds, the series of data operations comprising at least a transformation operation and a redundancy operation;
• after each of the series of data operations is performed, generating at least one tag and adding the at least one tag to the resulting data obtained from the performance of the data operation such that successive ones in the series of data operations, if any, are performed on both the at least one tag and the resulting data obtained from the performance of the data operation, the at least one tag comprising information identifying the data operation;
• storing the plurality of shreds and the at least one tag generated after the last data operation is performed on at least one storage unit;
• selecting a portion of the plurality of shreds stored on the at least one storage unit;
• reading the at least one tag generated after the last data operation was performed, and identifying an operation inverse to the last data operation;
• performing the operation inverse to the last data operation on the selected portion of the plurality of shreds to obtain the resulting data of the data operation performed before the last data operation and the at least one tag generated after that data operation was performed, the data operation performed before the last data operation being a previous data operation, the at least one tag generated after the previous data operation being at least one previously generated tag, and the resulting data of the previous data operation being previous resulting data;
• and
• until an operation inverse to the first data operation has been performed:
• reading the at least one previously generated tag;
• identifying an operation inverse to the previous data operation;
• performing the operation inverse to the previous data operation on the previous resulting data, if the previous data operation is the first data operation, performing the operation inverse to the previous data operation on the previous resulting data yielding the initial data,
• otherwise, if the previous data operation is not the first data operation, the data operation performed before the previous data operation being redefined as the previous data operation, the at least one tag generated after the redefined previous data operation being redefined as the at least one previously generated tag, and the resulting data of the redefined previous data operation being redefined as the previous resulting data.

A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor and when executed by the at least one processor instruct the at least one processor to:

• perform data operations on initial data to obtain a plurality of shreds, the data operations comprising a transformation operation and a redundancy operation;
• generate at least one tag for each shred, the at least one tag comprising information identifying the data operations performed on the initial data, and indicating a shred order of operations, the shred order of operations being an order in which the data operations were performed;
• store the plurality of shreds on at least one storage unit;
• select a portion of the plurality of shreds;
• for at least one of the selection portion of the plurality of shreds, read the at least one tag generated for the shred to identify an operation inverse to each of the data operations;
• and
• perform the operations inverse to each of the data operations on the selected portion of the plurality of shreds in accordance with a deshred order of operations to thereby recover the initial data, the deshred order of operations being an inverse of the shred order of operations.

A system for use with data, the system comprising at least one storage unit;

• a plurality of processors coupled to the at least one storage unit;
• and a memory comprising instructions executable by the processors, the instructions when executed by one or more of the plurality of processors implementing a customizable shredder and a deshredder, the customizable shredder including at least one transformer, at least one redundancy generator, and a tag generator, the deshredder including a tag reader, at least one inverse redundancy generator, and at least one inverse transformer,
• the at least one transformer of the customizable shredder being executable by the plurality of processors in parallel and during execution performing at least one transformation on the data,
• the at least one redundancy generator of the customizable shredder being executable by the plurality of processors in parallel and during execution performing at least one redundancy operation on the data, after the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation have been performed on the data in a shred order of operations, the data comprising a plurality of shreds, the data being recoverable from a portion of the plurality of shreds by performing at least one inverse transformation and at least one inverse redundancy operation on the portion of the plurality of shreds in a deshred order of operations, the deshred order of operations being an inverse of the shred order of operations,
• the tag generator of the customizable shredder being configured to generate at least one tag for each of the plurality of shreds, the at least one tag comprising information identifying the at least one transformation, the at least one redundancy operation, and the shred order of operations, the customizable shredder being configured to store the plurality of shreds in the at least one storage unit,
• for at least one of the portion of the plurality of shreds, the tag reader of the deshredder being configured to (a) read the at least one tag generated for the shred, (b) identify the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation performed on the data to produce the shred, and (c) identify the shred order of operations in which the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation were performed on the data to produce the shred, the deshredder being configured to identify the at least one inverse transformation and the at least one inverse redundancy operation, and instruct the at least one inverse transformer to perform the at least one inverse transformation and the at least one inverse redundancy generator to perform the at least one inverse redundancy operation on the portion of the plurality of shreds in the deshred order of operations to recover the data,
• the at least one inverse redundancy generator being executable by the plurality of processors in parallel and during execution, performing the at least one inverse redundancy operation, and
• the at least one inverse transformer being executable by the plurality of processors in parallel and during execution, performing the at least one inverse transformation.

A system for use with data, the system comprising:

• at least one storage unit;
• a shredder in communication with the at least one storage unit and comprising a first plurality of logic circuits interconnected by one or more buses, a first portion of the first plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement at least one transformer, a second portion of the first plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement at least one redundancy generator, a third portion of the first plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement a tag generator,
• the at least one transformer applying at least one transformation to the data,
• the at least one redundancy generator applying at least one redundancy operation to the data, the data comprising a plurality of shreds after the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation have been performed on the data in a shred order of operations, the data being recoverable from a portion of the plurality of shreds by performing at least one inverse transformation and at least one inverse redundancy operation on the portion of the plurality of shreds in a deshred order of operations, the deshred order of operations being an inverse of the shred order of operations,
• the tag generator being configured to generate at least one tag for each of the plurality of shreds, the at least one tag comprising information identifying the at least one transformation, the at least one redundancy operation, and the shred order of operations, the shredder being configured to store the plurality of shreds in the at least one storage unit;
• and
• a deshredder in communication with the at least one storage unit, the deshredder comprising a second plurality of logic circuits interconnected by one or more buses, a first portion of the second plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement a tag reader, a second portion of the second plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement at least one inverse redundancy generator, and a third portion of the second plurality of logic circuits being configured to implement at least one inverse transformer,
• for at least one of the portion the plurality of shreds, the tag reader being configured to (a) read the at least one tag generated for the shred, (b) identify the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation performed on the data to produce the shred, (c) identify the shred order of operations in which the at least one transformation and the at least one redundancy operation were performed on the data to produce the shred, (d) identify the at least one inverse transformation and the at least one inverse redundancy operation, and (e) instruct the at least one inverse transformer to perform the at least one inverse transformation and the at least one inverse redundancy generator to perform the at least one inverse redundancy operation on the portion of the plurality of shreds in the deshred order of operations to recover the data,
• the at least one inverse redundancy generator performing the inverse redundancy operation in response to receiving the instruction from the tag reader,
• the at least one inverse transformer performing the at least one inverse transformation in response to receiving the instruction from the tag reader.