Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Data processing system error or fault handling – Reliability and availability
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-14
2004-01-06
Beausoliel, Robert (Department: 2184)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Data processing system error or fault handling
Reliability and availability
C714S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675317
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer systems, and more particularly to a method and system for determining whether an erase procedure has run been on a hard drive.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computer systems are used for a variety of applications. For example,
FIG. 1
depicts one embodiment of a portion of a conventional computer system
10
. The conventional computer system
10
includes a monitor
12
, the keyboard
14
and drives
16
and
18
. Typically, one or more of the drives
16
and
18
are hard drives. The drives
16
and
18
the shown as being sectored. Thus, the drive
16
includes sector
0
20
, sector
1
22
, sector
2
24
through sector n
26
. Similarly, the drive
18
includes sector
0
30
, sector
1
32
, sector
2
34
through sector n
36
. The conventional computer system
10
could include other components which, for the sake of clarity, are not shown. The conventional computer system
10
could be a desktop system, a workstation, a laptop, a server, or other computer system.
Often, the user of the conventional computer system
10
desires to replace the conventional computer system
10
with another system (not shown). For example, in a business, the conventional computer system
10
may be redistributed to another employee or discarded when the employee using the conventional computer system
10
receives a new system. However, the conventional computer system
10
may include sensitive for confidential data on one or more of the drives
16
and
18
. Therefore, before discarding or redistributing the conventional computer system
10
, all data should be removed from the drives
16
and
18
.
FIG. 2A
depicts a conventional method
50
for a scrub program that erases, or removes data from, the drives
16
and
18
of a computer. The conventional method
50
is typically carried out for each drive of the computer system
10
being reused or discarded. In addition, the conventional method
50
may be carried out multiple times for each drive. The information for the drive is obtained, via step
52
. For example, this information might include the serial number of the drive. The write buffer (not shown in
FIG. 1
) is then initialized with an overwrite pattern, via step
54
. The overwrite pattern is then written to each sector of the drive, via step
56
. Step
56
may also be repeated multiple times for each drive to ensure that data on the drive cannot be recovered. Step
56
is performed multiple times for each drive, typically when higher sensitivity data is desired to be removed. When the conventional method
50
is carried out for drives
16
and
18
having lower sensitivity data, step
56
is typically performed only once. In addition, in another conventional method, steps
54
and
56
may be replaced by merely erasing the drive. However, in such a case, the data is typically recoverable.
FIG. 2B
depicts a conventional method
60
for erasing the drive
16
and
18
and discarding the conventional computer system
10
. A scrub program is run on the conventional computer system
10
, via step
62
. The scrub program removes the data on the drives
16
and
18
, preferably so the data cannot be recovered. For example, step
62
typically includes running a scrub program which implements the conventional method
50
. In a business, the conventional computer system
10
is provided to the appropriate organization for reuse or discarding, via step
64
. For example, the conventional computer system
10
may be provided to a network administrator who is responsible for the business's computers. The removal of the data on the drives
16
and
18
is then manually validated, via step
66
. Step
66
typically includes rerunning the scrub program on the conventional computer system
10
. Step
66
could also include checking written material which comes with the conventional computer system
10
. The written material could include a log which would indicate whether or not a scrub program has been run on the conventional computer system
10
. In the alternative, step
66
could include checking each sector of the drives
16
and
18
to be sure that all data has been erased and cannot be recovered. The conventional computer system
10
can then be reused or discarded, via step
68
.
Although the conventional method
60
allows the conventional computer system
10
to be reused or discarded, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the conventional method
60
is inefficient. In particular, manually validating whether data has been removed from the drives
16
and
18
, in step
66
, may take a relatively long time. For example, rerunning the scrub program can take a long time because each sector of each drive
16
and
18
must be overwrite in at least once. In addition, this would duplicate work that might have already been done. Trusting a written log that indicates whether the scrub program has been run leaves open the possibility for error. For example, the log may incorrectly indicate that data has been removed from the drives
16
and
18
. As a result, sensitive data may accidentally be released. Inspecting each sector of the drives
16
and
18
to ensure that sensitive data has been removed is also quite time-consuming. Thus, this validation of the removal of data is time-consuming and, therefore, costly. Not performing a validation of the removal of data is generally not an option because this would result in sensitive data being released.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for rapidly and easily determining whether all of the data on a drive for a computer system has been removed. The present invention addresses such a need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and system for validating that erasing a drive of a computer system has occurred. The method and system comprise scrubbing the drive and writing a message to a portion of the drive such that the message will be provided to a user in response to a computer system containing the drive being booted after scrubbing. The message indicates that the drive has been scrubbed.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention allows a user to rapidly and easily determine whether all of the data on a drive of a computer system has been erased.
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Murphrey Stephen Woodrow
Rhoades David B.
Beausoliel Robert
McCarthy Christopher S.
Sawyer Law Group LLP
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