Image storage across distributed computing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306988-B2
Application number	US-202318321227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	Mar 5, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a method, system, and computer program product for storing images across multiple distributed computing systems according to image sensitivity. The method comprises identifying an image and analyzing the image to identify sensitive information in the image. The method further comprises splitting the image into a sensitive portion and a non-sensitive portion. The method further comprises storing the sensitive portion of the image in a first distributed computing system and storing the non-sensitive portion of the image in a second distributed computing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a request for an image from a requestor, the image comprising a sensitive portion and a non-sensitive portion that have been split up and stored in a first distributed computing environment and a second distributed computing environment, respectively;
receiving a list of sensitive clusters with a storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
monitoring health check parameters of the storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
generating a health score for the storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
maintaining a data sensitivity level of each cluster in the list of sensitive clusters;
identifying a first location data and a first boundary data for the sensitive portion, wherein the first location data identifies the storage location in the first distributed computing environment for the sensitive portion, and wherein the first boundary data identifies where the sensitive portion belongs in the image;
identifying a second location data and a second boundary data for the non-sensitive portion, wherein the second location data identifies a storage location in the second distributed computing environment for the non-sensitive portion, and wherein the second boundary data identifies where the non-sensitive portion belongs in the image;
authenticating that the requestor is permitted to receive the image;
retrieving the sensitive portion from the first distributed computing environment and the non-sensitive portion from the second distributed computing environment;
recombining, using boundary information for the sensitive and non-sensitive portions that is included in metadata associated with the image, the sensitive and non-sensitive portions to recreate the image, wherein both the sensitive and non-sensitive portions are visible in the recreated image; and
returning the recreated image to the requestor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving comprises:
determining, from an image sensitivity database, the first location of the sensitive portion in the first distributed computing environment and the second location of the non-sensitive portion in the second distributed computing environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first distributed computing environment has a higher security level than the second distributed computing environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first distributed computing environment is a private cloud and the second distributed computing environment is a public cloud, the public and private clouds being capable of communicating with each other as part of a hybrid cloud environment.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, from the boundary information, the first boundary data for the sensitive portion and the second boundary data for the non-sensitive portion, wherein the first boundary data identifies where the sensitive portion belongs in the recreated image and the second boundary data identifies where the non-sensitive portion belongs in the recreated image.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the metadata is stored in a database.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the recombining the sensitive and non-sensitive portions to recreate the image is performed using the first and second boundary data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recombining the sensitive and non-sensitive portions to recreate the image comprises stitching the sensitive and non-sensitive portions together along edges defined by the first and second boundary data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the health check parameters are selected from the following: firewall configuration, unauthorized access, and any other activity which might indicate potential misuse of the sensitive portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising;
determining that the health score falls below a threshold; and
removing, based on the determining, the sensitive portion from the list of sensitive clusters.

11. A system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform a method comprising:
receiving a request for an image from a requestor;
authenticating that the requestor is permitted to receive the image;
determining that the image has been split into a sensitive portion and a non-sensitive portion, the sensitive and non-sensitive portions being stored in a first distributed computing environment and a second distributed computing environment, respectively;
receiving a list of sensitive clusters with a storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
monitoring health check parameters of the storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
generating a health score for the storage location in the first distributed computing environment;
maintaining a data sensitivity level of each cluster in the list of sensitive clusters;
identifying a first location data and a first boundary data for the sensitive portion, wherein the first location data identifies the storage location in the first distributed computing environment for the sensitive portion, and wherein the first boundary data identifies where the sensitive portion belongs in the image;
identifying a second location data and a second boundary data for the non-sensitive portion, wherein the second location data identifies a storage location in the second distributed computing environment for the non-sensitive portion, and wherein the second boundary data identifies where the non-sensitive portion belongs in the image;
retrieving the sensitive portion from the first distributed computing environment and the non-sensitive portion from the second distributed computing environment;
recombining, using boundary information for the sensitive and non-sensitive portions that is included in metadata associated with the image, the sensitive and non-sensitive portions to recreate the image, wherein both the sensitive and non-sensitive portions are visible in the recreated image; and
returning the recreated image to the requestor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the retrieving comprises:
determining, from an image sensitivity database, the first location of the sensitive portion in the first distributed computing environment and the second location of the non-sensitive portion in the second distributed computing environment.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first distributed computing environment has a higher security level than the second distributed computing environment.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first distributed computing environment is a private cloud and the second distributed computing environment is a public cloud, the public and private clouds being capable of communicating with each other as part of a hybrid cloud environment.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining, from the boundary information, the first boundary data for the sensitive portion and the second boundary data for the non-sensitive portion, wherein the first boundary data identifies where the sensitive portion belongs in the recreated image and the second boundary data identifies where the non-sensitive portion belongs in the recreated image.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the metadata is stored in a database.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the recombining the sensitive and non-sensitive portions to recreate the image comprises stitching the sensitive and non-sensitive portions together along edges define

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kaul Abhishek
• Gupta Sachin
• Vadayadiyil Raveendran Pramod
• Nagar Seema
• Dey Kuntal

Classifications

• H04L63/0428 Primary

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · 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

• H04L63/105

  Multiple levels of security · CPC title

• G06V10/25

  Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI] · CPC title

• G06V30/10

  Character recognition · CPC title