US Patent 10146703 Encrypting data objects in a data storage system

Techniques for providing encryption of individual data objects in a data storage system include realizing data objects in the form of container files stored in a set of file systems, and encrypting individual ones of the data objects by encrypting the container files realizing the data objects using encryption keys associated with the individual data objects. By independently encrypting the container files that realize individual data objects, the disclosed system provides per-data object encryption. Each data object may be encrypted differently, e.g. using a different encryption key, even when multiple data objects are hosted over the same storage device or over a shared set of storage devices.