Patent ID: 8458491
Filing Date: 2013-06-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of scrubbing a storage volume, the storage volume providing data storage support for a computing appliance, the method comprising: identifying a scrub key, the scrub key cryptographically enciphering data stored on the storage volume, the scrub key responsive to a rekey signal, the rekey signal indicative of a need to delete the enciphered data; generating an indicator number, the indicator number defining a deployment instance of the storage volume, a modification of the indicator number defining a new deployment instance such that data from previous deployments is rendered indecipherable; storing the scrub key separate from a memory space of a processor supporting the computing appliance, the scrub key inaccessible via instructions executed by the processor; responding to input/output (I/O) requests from the supported computing appliance, the I/O requests for reading or writing blocks of the data stored on the storage volume, responding further including: detecting when the rekey signal has been issued; and in response to detecting the rekey signal, erasing the scrub key such that the enciphered data stored on the storage volume remains enciphered, the enciphered data requiring substantial computing resources to decrypt without the scrub key.