Blockchain-as-a-service integrated hybrid object storage system in multi-cloud computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520737-B2
Application number	US-201916561221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for improved storage in a multi-cloud computing environment are provided. For example, a system manager for a storage system comprises a client interface layer configured to provide one or more application programing interfaces for one or more clients accessing the storage system, and a client interface layer handler configured to manage the one or more application programing interfaces of the client interface layer. Further, the system manager comprises a unified storage resource interface layer configured to provide a set of application programming interfaces to enable access for the one or more clients to a storage resource layer operatively coupled to the unified storage resource interface layer. The storage resource layer comprising one or more public cloud platform-based storage resources and a blockchain manager that coordinates access to one or more enterprise-level storage resources and one or more individually-owned storage resources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
one or more processors operatively coupled to one or more memories and configured to form a system manager for a storage system, the system manager comprising:
a client interface layer configured to provide one or more application programing interfaces for one or more clients accessing the storage system;
a client interface layer handler operatively coupled to the client interface layer and configured to manage the one or more application programing interfaces of the client interface layer; and
a unified storage resource interface layer operatively coupled to the client interface layer handler and configured to provide a set of application programming interfaces to enable access for the one or more clients to a storage resource layer operatively coupled to the unified storage resource interface layer, the storage resource layer comprising a cloud storage type resource and a blockchain storage type resource;
wherein the cloud storage type resource comprises one or more public cloud platform-based storage resources and wherein the blockchain storage type resource comprises a blockchain manager associated with a blockchain, the blockchain manager enabling access to one or more enterprise-level storage resources and one or more individually-owned storage resources coupled to the blockchain; and
wherein access to the cloud storage type resource is independent from access to the blockchain storage type resource.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the system manager comprises a centralized architecture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the blockchain manager is integrated in the storage resource layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the system manager is operatively coupled to a blockchain interface client which is configured to provide at least one application programming interface to the blockchain manager integrated in the storage resource layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the system manager comprises a decentralized architecture.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the blockchain manager is operatively coupled between the unified storage resource interface layer and the storage resource layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unified storage resource interface layer is further configured to enable access to one or more storage resources newly added to the storage resource layer in a manner transparent to the one or more clients.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the system manager further comprises a metadata store operatively coupled to the client interface layer handler and configured to store metadata associated with data storage operations for the one or more clients.

9. A method, comprising:
providing, as part of a system manager for a storage system, a client interface layer configured to provide one or more application programing interfaces for one or more clients accessing the storage system;
providing, as part of the system manager, a client interface layer handler operatively coupled to the client interface layer and configured to manage the one or more application programing interfaces of the client interface layer; and
providing, as a part of the system manager, a unified storage resource interface layer operatively coupled to the client interface layer handler and configured to provide a set of application programming interfaces to enable access for the one or more clients to a storage resource layer operatively coupled to the unified storage resource interface layer, the storage resource layer comprising a cloud storage type resource and a blockchain storage type resource;
wherein the cloud storage type resource comprises one or more public cloud platform-based storage resources and wherein the blockchain storage type resource comprises a blockchain manager associated with a blockchain, the blockchain manager enabling access to one or more enterprise-level storage resources and one or more individually-owned storage resources coupled to the blockchain;
wherein access to the cloud storage type resource is independent from access to the blockchain storage type resource; and
wherein the system manager is implemented by one or more processors operatively coupled to one or more memories.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in an initial blockchain stage, the blockchain manager initially coordinates access to the one or more enterprise-level storage resources.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, during the initial blockchain stage, client data storage operation metadata is stored on the blockchain, wherein the blockchain is managed by the blockchain manager.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in a subsequent blockchain stage, the blockchain manager coordinates access to the one or more individually-owned storage resources.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, during the subsequent blockchain stage, client data is stored on the blockchain, wherein the blockchain is managed by the blockchain manager.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the system manager receiving a storage request from one of the one or more clients to storage data on the blockchain, the blockchain being managed by the blockchain manager.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the system manager obtaining a token from the client that sent the storage request, the token being used to access one of the one or more enterprise-level storage resources and the one or more individually-owned storage resources.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the blockchain manager provides a blockchain-as-a-service to the one or more clients.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a processor-readable storage medium having encoded therein executable code of one or more software programs, wherein the one or more software programs when executed by one or more processors implement steps of:
providing, as part of a system manager for a storage system, a client interface layer configured to provide one or more application programing interfaces for one or more clients accessing the storage system;
providing, as part of the system manager, a client interface layer handler operatively coupled to the client interface layer and configured to manage the one or more application programing interfaces of the client interface layer; and
providing, as a part of the system manager, a unified storage resource interface layer operatively coupled to the client interface layer handler and configured to provide a set of application programming interfaces to enable access for the one or more clients to a storage resource layer operatively coupled to the unified storage resource interface layer, the storage resource layer comprising a cloud storage type resource and a blockchain storage type resource;
wherein the cloud storage type resource comprises one or more public cloud platform-based storage resources and wherein the blockchain storage type resource comprises a blockchain manager associated with a blockchain, the blockchain manager enabling access to one or more enterprise-level storage resources and one or more individually-owned storage resources coupled to the blockchain; and
wherein access to the cloud storage type resource is independent from access to the blockchain storage type resource.

18. The article of claim 17 , further comprising, in an initial blockchain stage, the blockchain manager initially coordinates access to the one or more enterprise-level storage resources.

19. The article of claim 17 , furth

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Chen Si
• Wu Pengfei
• Lin Zhenzhen
• Zhang Ruixue
• Christner Joel

Classifications

• G06F16/188

  Virtual file systems · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  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] · CPC title

• H04L9/0637

  Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM] · CPC title

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L69/321

  Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers · CPC title