5th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies – Abstract
Pp. 77–92 of the Proceedings
Strong Accountability for Network Storage
Aydan R. Yumerefendi and Jeffrey S. Chase,
Duke University
Abstract
This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of CATS, a network storage service with strong accountability properties. A CATS server annotates read and write responses with evidence of correct execution, and offers audit and challenge interfaces that enable clients to verify that the server is faithful. A faulty server cannot conceal its misbehavior, and evidence of misbehavior is independently verifiable by any participant. CATS clients are also accountable for their actions on the service. A client cannot deny its actions, and the server can prove the impact of those actions on the state views it presented to other clients.
Experiments with a CATS prototype evaluate the cost of accountability under a range of conditions and expose the primary factors influencing the level of assurance and the performance of a strongly accountable storage server. The results show that strong accountability is practical for network storage systems in settings with strong identity andmodest degrees of write-sharing. The accountability concepts and techniques used in CATS generalize to a broader class of network services.
- View the full text of this paper in HTML and PDF. Listen to the presentation in MP3 format.
Until February 2008, you will need your USENIX membership identification in order to access the full papers.
The Proceedings are published as a collective work, © 2007 by the USENIX Association. All Rights Reserved. Rights to individual papers remain with the author or the author's employer. Permission is granted for the noncommercial reproduction of the complete work for educational or research purposes. USENIX acknowledges all trademarks within this paper.
|