DISTRIBUTED STORAGE

摘要

Method and apparatus for securely storing data comprising the steps of receiving one or more communications identifying a plurality of tested and available remote separate storage locations. Dividing the data into a plurality of data subsets. Allocating each one of the plurality of data subsets to a different one of the plurality of available remote separate storage locations. Transmitting and storing each one of the data subsets at the allocated available remote separate storage location. Transmitting to one or more of the available remote separate storage locations information specifying the allocation of each of the data subsets. A method and apparatus for retrieving data comprising the steps of receiving one or more communications identifying a plurality of tested and available remote separate storage locations. Retrieving from one or more of the available remote separate storage locations information specifying the allocation on the remote separate storage locations of a plurality of data subsets forming the data. Retrieving the data subsets from allocated remote separate storage locations. Combining the retrieved data subsets to form the data. A method and apparatus for allocating separate storage locations comprising the steps of testing the availability of each of a plurality of separate storage locations. Recording the results of the tests together with identifiers of each separate storage location. Transmitting one or more communications identifying the available separate storage locations.