Data Integrity in Network Environments and Storage (DINES)

In this SBIR program, CFDRC will develop and implement an innovative, multi-tiered data integrity software system named DINES to guarantee data integrity in the GIG-NCES environment. DINES uses digital signatures to guarantee the integrity of the data and meta-data, and provides mechanisms to optimize performance for permanent storage, network communication, and streaming data. DINES addresses deficiencies in current systems such as 1) the trust in signatures compromised in the future, 2) the lack of necessary meta-data information, 3) substantial network overhead, and 4) the use of expensive cryptographic operations. The unique, multi-tiered nature of DINES allows the integrity of data to be guaranteed. By employing the advanced Meta-data Request Protocol and using XML formatted meta-data, DINES ensures extensibility for future meta-data requirements. In Phase I, feasibility will be shown by implementing and testing the basic components and showing that DINES maintains data integrity in networks and storage systems. Existing data integrity systems will be examined to determine additional features to include in the Phase II prototype. In Phase II, the entire system will be designed and implemented by extending the best practices discovered in Phase I. Also in Phase II, new components will be added, such as a GUI. The completed system will be tested and benchmarked using realistic network applications.