Flexible data distribution policy language and gateway architecture

Concerns about the security and reliability of data storage in online systems, alias cloud storage services, have led to the design of application-independent storage overlays and controllers which guarantee security and optimality with regards to the requirements of their users. In roaming and multi-user environments, the configuration and rules steering these controllers should be easily extensible and migratable in order to not simply shift the vendor lock-in from the service provider to the controller software or appliance. Despite this requirement, there is no language available yet to express such rules and policies. Therefore, we introduce the Flexible Data Distribution Policy Language (FlexDDPL) to formulate storage policies, evaluate it against language design guidelines, and demonstrate its practical usability within a dispersing cloud storage gateway architecture.