Redundant Fail-Safe Synchronization in a Data Authentication Infrastructure

摘要

A distributed hash tree-based authentication system for digital input records has more than one upper-level core node, each of which receives at least one uppermost value from aggregators. Communicating with each other about which aggregator values they have received, the nodes try to reach agreement as to which of these values should be included in duplicated current intra-node hash tree evaluations so as to form a consistent top-level value used as the basis for digital signatures associated with the digital input records.

主权项

1. A method for synchronizing an authentication network, comprising:
receiving, at a plurality of nodes, highest level output values from a plurality of aggregators, each highest level output value being formed from digital combinations of successively lower-level output values computed in lower levels as node values of a tree data structure having lowest level inputs formed as digital transformations of digital input records; in each node, compiling a local set of the received highest level output values; determining a final set of highest level output values as a function of the occurrence of the received highest level output values in the different local sets; and computing a current period value as a digital combination of the received highest level output values in the final set.