Patent ID: 8892907

Claim:
A method of storing a cryptographic key identifier on a logical disk having a plurality of blocks, the method comprising: (a) determining a set of blocks of the plurality of blocks that is to store the cryptographic key identifier; (b) accessing a first block of the set of blocks; (c) compressing data stored in the first block; (d) encrypting the compressed data using a cryptographic key, the cryptographic key being identified by the cryptographic key identifier; (e) making a determination whether the compressed data and metadata that includes the cryptographic key identifier can be stored in the first block; (f) in response to determining that the compressed data and the metadata can be stored in the first block, storing the compressed data and the cryptographic key identifier in the first block; and (g) repeating steps (b) through (f) for another block from the set of blocks until all blocks from the set of blocks are accessed.