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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.

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Last changed: 4 May 2007 ac