CARL DAVID ROSS
Pilots at Sills Rd, Arbuckle, CA

2008005, Feb 28, 2008

Jul 26, 2007

11/881643

David MacMillan - Mineral Point WI, US
Carl Ross - Arbuckle CA, US

G06F 12/14

713193000

A generalized-topology heterogeneous time-variant computing environment (CE) is defined, which includes generalized Usage Devices (UDs), Storage Devices (SDs), and Data Links (DLs). It includes as SDs all physical or virtual devices which may be used to store data and on which data may be accessed via an Access Protocol (AP), including devices of types not conventionally recognized as SDs. An Inline Storage Protection Device (ISPD) is defined, which is enabled for use by a physically distinct ISPD Key device (ISPDK) which must be removed after enablement. An ISPD protects using encryption the data on an SD associated with it, and simultaneously it applies data usage Policy and performs Auditing of data usage. In another operating scenario, an ISPD may function as a simple data protection device without applying Policy or performing Auditing, but in such operation excluding particular types of SDs addressed by similar devices in the prior art. In another operating scenario, an ISPD of either type maintains its SD as equivalent in content to an SD supplied by an external Coordinating Storage facility. In this usage multiple ISPDs in multiple CEs may coordinate against a single Coordinating Storage facility and thus maintain effectively identical SDs, each of which is protected independently of the others by its ISPD.