International Business Machines Corporation

Barry John Wood

Robert Bruce Nicholson

Matthew John Fairhurst

Paul Andrew Ashmore

Simon Walsh

Raymond Jepson

Andrew J E Menadue

Natalie Sian Hogan

Michael Huw Francis

A method and a system for unlocking a storage device that has become locked or cannot be unlocked are disclosed. A hint is generated from a key by removing bits and adding bits. A position of removed bits, a position of added bits, the number of removed bits and the number of added bits are stored and known securely. When the key cannot unlock a storage device corresponding to the key, the position of removed bits, the position of added bits, the number of removed bits (N) and the number of added bits are retrieved. Then, the added bits are removed in the hint. Each possible N bits are placed in the hint at the position of removed bits to generate 2possible keys. Then, each of 2possible key are tried to unlock the storage device.

SID management for access to encrypted drives

A method for maintaining data access during failure of a controller in a multiple controller storage subsystem () is provided. The storage subsystem () has an array of data storage devices () and more than one controller () for managing the data storage. The method comprises a first controller () saving its internal state information () and, optionally, resetting itself (). One or more of the other controllers () carry out the steps of pausing operation of the controller (), saving internal state information of the controller at the time of pausing (), and continuing operation of the controller (). The one or more other controllers () may pause operation and save their internal state information when they receive a message broadcast () from the first controller () which has detected an error.

Maintaining data access during failure of a controller

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Waterlooville, United Kingdom

Barry John Wood