File System Research Articles

A Two-Phase Blockchain-Enabled Framework for Securing Internet of Medical Things Systems

The healthcare industry has witnessed a transformative impact due to recent advancements in sensing technology, coupled with the Internet of Medical Things (IoMTs)-based healthcare systems. Remote monitoring and informed decision-making have become possible by leveraging an integrated platform for efficient data analysis and processing, thereby optimizing data management in healthcare. However, this data is collected, processed, and transmitted across an interconnected network of devices, which introduces notable security risks and escalates the potential for vulnerabilities throughout the entire data processing pipeline. Traditional security approaches rely on computational complexity and face challenges in adequately securing sensitive healthcare data against evolving threats, thus necessitating robust solutions that ensure trust, enhance security, and maintain data confidentiality and integrity. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a two-phase framework that integrates blockchain technology with IoMT to enhance trust computation, resulting in a secure cluster that supports the quality-of-service (QoS) for sensitive data. The first phase utilizes the decentralized interplanetary file system and hashing functions to create a smart contract for device registration, establishing a resilient storage platform that encrypts data, improves fault tolerance, and facilitates data access. In the second phase, communication overhead is optimized by considering power levels, communication ranges, and computing capabilities alongside the smart contract. The smart contract evaluates the trust index and QoS of each node to facilitate device clustering based on processing capabilities. We implemented the proposed framework using OMNeT++ simulator and C++ programming language and evaluated against the cutting-edge IoMT security approaches in terms of attack detection, energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, throughput, and latency. The qualitative results demonstrated that the proposed framework enhanced attack detection by 6.00%, 18.00%, 20.00%, and 27.00%, reduced energy consumption by 6.91%, 8.19%, 12.07%, and 17.94%, improved packet delivery ratio by 3.00%, 6.00%, 9.00%, and 10.00%, increased throughput by 7.00%, 8.00%, 11.00%, and 13.00%, and decreased latency by 4.90%, 8.81%, 11.54%, and 20.63%, against state-of-the-art methods and was supported by statistical analysis.

An archive‐based method for efficiently handling small file problems in HDFS

SummaryHadoop distributed file system (HDFS) performs well when storing and managing large files. However, its performance significantly decreases when dealing with massive small files. In response to this problem, a novel archive‐based solution is proposed. The archive refers to merging multiple small files into larger data files, which can effectively reduce the memory usage of the NameNode. The current archive‐based solutions have the disadvantages of long access time, long archive construction time, and no support for storage, updating and deleting small files in the archive system. Our method utilizes a dynamic hash function to distribute the metadata of small files across multiple metadata files. We construct a primary index that combines dynamic and static indexes for these metadata files. Regarding data files, include some read‐only files and one readable–writable file. A small file's contents are written into a readable and writable file. Upon reaching a predetermined threshold, the readable–writable file transitions into read‐only status, with a fresh readable–writable file replacing it. Experimental results show that the scheme improves the efficiency of archive access and archive creation and is more efficient than the original HDFS storage and update efficiency.

Blockchain with secure data transactions and energy trading model over the internet of electric vehicles

The rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has introduced significant advancement and evolution in the electricity market. In smart transportation, the EVs have earned more popularity because of its numerous benefits including lower carbon footprints, higher performance, and sophisticated energy trading mechanisms. These potential benefits have resulted in widespread EV adoption across the world. Despite its benefits, energy management remains the biggest challenge in EVs and it is mainly because of the lack of Charging Stations (CSs) near EVs. This creates a demand for an effective, secure and reliable energy management framework for EVs. This study presents a secure data and energy trade paradigm based on Blockchain (BC) in the Internet of EVs (IoEV). BC technology prepares for the high volume of EV integration that serves as the foundation for the next generation, and to assist in developing unique privacy-protected BC-based D-Trading and storage Models. Entities evaluated for the proposed model include Trusted Authority (TA), Vehicles, Smart Meters, Roadside Units (RSU), BC, and Inter-Planetary File System (IPFS). In addition, E-trading involves several phases, including the acquiring E-trading demand requests, E-trading response requests, request matching and token assignment. Moreover, account mapping is performed using a Mayfly Pelican Optimization Algorithm (MPOA), which is created by merging the Mayfly Algorithm (MA) and Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA). Various security features are used to protect data and energy trade in IoEV, including encryption, hashing, polynomials, and others. The testing results revealed that the MPOA outperformed the state-of-the-art results regarding memory consumption, trading rate, transaction cost, and trading energy volume with values of 4.605 MB, 91%, 0.654, and 90 kW, respectively.

Design of an image processing system for heterogeneous computer architectures

Embedded real-time image processing systems are widely applied in various fields, enhancing visual experience and making life more convenient. With the development of embedded processors and operating systems, as well as in-depth research into image processing algorithms, the effects and speed of image processing have been significantly improved. This paper proposes an embedded image processing system design based on the current technological developments, centered around the Zybo processor. This includes a collaborative hardware and software design, specific hardware circuit design, and the design of a system software platform. The paper also discusses the establishment of a development environment for the Zybo system, the transplantation of the Linux operating system, the design of the file system, and the application of OpenCV library functions in image processing.

Decentralized Incident Reporting: Mobilizing Urban Communities with Blockchain

This paper introduces an innovative response to the pressing challenge of rapid and effective incident detection and management in urban settings. The proposed solution is a decentralized incident reporting system (IRS) harnessing blockchain technology and decentralized data storage systems. By empowering residents to report incidents, the proposed IRS enables seamless real-time monitoring and intervention by relevant departments. Built on a blockchain foundation, the proposed solution ensures immutability, transparency, security, and auditability, enhancing data resilience and comprehensive applicability. The proposed system leverages the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for the storage of incident proofs to manage the blockchain size effectively. Through the proposed IRS, transparency is upheld, enabling complete auditability of incident details and required interventions by citizens, societal bodies, and governmental bodies. Moreover, an incentive model is introduced to encourage active participation in incident reporting, thereby enhancing the system’s overall effectiveness and long-term sustainability. The proposed IRS integrates mobile technology to facilitate user engagement and data submission, essential for urban emergency management. Empirical validation using the Quorum–Raft blockchain demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed approach in terms of system throughput, incident reporting delay, blockchain size, and deployment cost. Specifically, the system maintains a latency of under 15 s even at high transaction rates, can handle up to 200 incidents per second, and is cost-effective, with deployment estimates for 16 organizations over five years being under 1.99 million USD. The method involves extensive testing with simulated incidents and user interactions to ensure robustness and scalability, showcasing the system’s potential for effective emergency management in urban environments.

Blockchain-enabled transparent traffic enforcement for sustainable road safety in cities

With the progress of the times, cars have become an important means of transportation in our lives. However, with new cars of all kinds, road safety issues still cannot be effectively improved. While countries have responded by enforcing traffic laws and using electronic technology to enhance enforcement, challenges still need to be addressed, including blurred images and misjudgments by police agencies, and even exploiting loopholes in traffic enforcement frameworks to evade consequences through bribery or connections. exacerbating an accident and leaving victims and families in the lurch of the aftermath. To solve this problem, we proposed a data traceability law enforcement system based on blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). The system ensures rapid traceability and protects law enforcement data from external attacks. The goal of leveraging blockchain’s decentralized nature and smart contracts is to instill accountability and fairness in road safety measures, mitigate the effects of corruption, and pave the way for a safer and more just transportation environment. Our experimental results show that under our stress test of 50 transactions per second, the throughput can be as high as 300 and the maximum delay can reach 2.01s, which is enough to experimentally prove that our system is feasible. Our approach is designed to solve the data corruption problem caused by the centralized server being paralyzed. It applies to all technology enforcement, with high flexibility and scalability for all participants to join or set privileges. we also provide an automated traffic law enforcement system in a smart city. To make the data storage more secure and fair, and not easily damaged by malicious people or tampered with by intentional attackers. This brings a breakthrough to the country’s program security.

Design and Implementation of Deduplication on F2FS

Data deduplication technology has gained popularity in modern file systems due to its ability to eliminate redundant writes and improve storage space efficiency. In recent years, the flash-friendly file system (F2FS) has been widely adopted in flash memory-based storage devices, including smartphones, fast-speed servers, and Internet of Things. In this article, we propose F2DFS (deduplication-based F2FS), which introduces three main design contributions. First, F2DFS integrates inline and offline hybrid deduplication. Inline deduplication eliminates redundant writes and enhances flash device endurance, while offline deduplication mitigates the negative I/O performance impact and saves more storage space. Second, F2DFS follows the file system coupling design principle, effectively leveraging the potentials and benefits of both deduplication and native F2FS. Also, with the aid of this principle, F2DFS achieves high-performance and space-efficient incremental deduplication. Third, F2DFS adopts virtual indexing to mitigate deduplication-induced many-to-one mapping updates during the segment cleaning. We conducted comprehensive experimental comparisons between F2DFS, native F2FS, and other state-of-the-art deduplication schemes, using both synthetic and real-world workloads. For inline deduplication, F2DFS outperforms SmartDedup, Dmdedup, and ZFS, in terms of both I/O bandwidth performance and deduplication rates. And for offline deduplication, compared to SmartDedup, XFS, and BtrFS, F2DFS shows higher execution efficiency, lower resource usage, and greater storage space savings. Moreover, F2DFS demonstrates more efficient segment cleanings than native F2FS.

Blockchain-Based Model for Incentivized Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing

Sharing cyber threat intelligence (CTI) can significantly improve the security of information technology (IT) in organizations. However, stakeholders and practitioners are not keen on sharing CTI data due to the risk of exposing their private data and possibly losing value as an organization on the market. We present a model for CTI data sharing that maintains trust and confidentiality and incentivizes the sharing process. The novelty of the proposed model is that it combines two incentive mechanisms: money and reputation. The reputation incentive is important for ensuring trust in the shared CTI data. The monetary incentive is important for motivating the sharing and consumption of CTI data. The incentives are based on a subscription fee and a reward score for activities performed by a user. User activities are considered in the following three fields: producing CTI data, consuming CTI data, and reviewing CTI data. Each instance of user activity is rewarded with a score, and this score generates some value for reputation. An algorithm is proposed for assigning reward scores and for recording the accumulated reputation of the user. This model is implemented on the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain and the Interplanetary File System for storing data off-chain. The implemented prototype demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed model. The provided simulation shows that the selected values and the proposed algorithm used to calculate the reward scores are in accordance with economic laws.

Methods of Extracting and Analyzing Metadata for Evidentiary Purposes

This paper examines methods for extracting and analyzing metadata for evidentiary purposes in civil proceedings. Through a comprehensive review of current literature, legal cases, and forensic techniques, it explores the diverse approaches to metadata analysis across various digital domains, including file systems, emails, documents, web browsers, mobile devices, cloud storage, social media, and emerging technologies. The study highlights the critical role of metadata in establishing the authenticity, reliability, and chronology of digital evidence. It also addresses the challenges posed by encrypted data, large-scale analysis, and the need for robust quality assurance processes. The findings underscore the importance of adapting forensic methodologies to evolving digital landscapes while maintaining legal and ethical standards. This research contributes to the ongoing development of best practices in digital forensics and their application in civil litigation.

Evaluation of the shaping ability of different rotary file systems in severely and abruptly curved root canals using cone beam computed tomography

BackgroundWhen selecting an instrument for canal preparation, it is important to consider several parameters that influence the shaping efficiency, including instrument design, metallurgy, and operating motion. This study aimed to evaluate the shaping ability of the ProTaper Next (PTN), WaveOne Gold (WOG), and XP-endo Rise Shaper (XPRS) rotary systems in severely and abruptly curved root canals using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and ImageJ software. Materials and MethodsForty-eight mesial root canals of the mandibular first molars were assigned equally to three groups: PTN, WOG, and XPRS. Using ImageJ software, CBCT images were acquired pre- and post-instrumentation to assess dentin removal, remaining dentin thickness (RDT), canal transportation, and centering ratio at the coronal, middle, and apical levels. Statistical analyses were conducted on all numerical data. ResultsAll rotary systems removed significantly more distocoronal dentin in the danger zone (DZ), than the mesiocoronal area. PTN removed significantly more dentin and caused less RDT than XPRS (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between PTN-WOG and WOG-XPRS. In the DZ, the highest percentage of specimens with an RDT < 0.5 mm was observed when using PTN (50%), followed by WOG (31.3%), and XPRS (6.3%). Compared with PTN and WOG, XPRS demonstrated less coronal transportation. Among all rotary systems, there was no significant difference in apical transportation or centering ratio. ConclusionsBased on our observations, all rotary instruments exhibited a tendency to remove dentin in the DZ, but to different degrees. XPRS demonstrated better results in terms of coronal transportation and dentin thickness in the DZ. Comparable centering abilities and minimal apical transportation were demonstrated using all rotary instruments.

Quantitative evaluation of the apically extruded debris from root canals prepared by single-file rotary and reciprocating file systems: An in vitro study.

The aim is to investigate and compare the amount of apically extruded debris after root canal preparation using single rotary and reciprocating file system. Forty single-rooted human mandibular premolars with straight canals were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 10). The root canals were instrumented according to the manufacturers' instructions using single-rotary file systems Hyflex EDM (HEDM), One Shape (OS) and single-reciprocating file systems Wave OneGold (WOG) and OneRECI (OR). The apically extruded debris was collected in preweighed glass vials using the Myers and Montgomery method. After drying, the mean weight of the extruded debris was assessed using a microbalance. Multiple comparison between groups demonstrated that the mean weight of apically extruded debris in the HEDM group was significantly less compared to all other study groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Under the condition of this study, all file systems caused apical debris extrusion. The mean apically extruded debris was significantly least in HEDM, followed by WOG, OneRECI and highest in the OS group.

Comparative Evaluation of Surface Roughness of Different Rotary Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) Files After Autoclaving: An Atomic Force Microscopic Study.

Introduction Canal preparation is a critical step in endodontic therapy. Introducing nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments has significantly reduced the likelihood of errors in curved canals. However, due to their price, these instruments are often reused following autoclaving. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate the surface characteristics of two designs of rotary NiTi files used in curved canals and subjected to multiple autoclaving cycles, utilizing an atomic force microscope for detailed analysis. Methods A total sample size of 24 files was taken, 12 files of Hyflex EDM (Coltene/Whaledent, Germany) files andWaveOne Gold (Dentsply Sirona, USA) fileswere then divided into four groups (n=6) as follows:Group I: Hyflex EDM control group;Group II: WaveOne Gold control group;Group III: Hyflex EDM experimental group; Group IV: WaveOne Gold experimental group. Sterilization using an autoclave was performed thrice for Groups I and II files. The files in Groups III and IV were used in simulated curved canals three times and autoclaved after each use. Atomic force microscopy was used to assess the surface roughness of the files after the first and third autoclave cycles. Results The results showed that, without statistical significance, Hyflex EDM exhibited the highest surface roughness after the first usage among the two file systems. Conclusion It can be concluded that both Hyflex EDM and WaveOne Gold files produced similar levels of surface changes when subjected to multiple usage and autoclaving cycles.

Direct Memory Access-Based Data Storage for Long-Term Acquisition Using Wearables in an Energy-Efficient Manner.

This study introduces a lightweight storage system for wearable devices, aiming to optimize energy efficiency in long-term and continuous monitoring applications. Utilizing Direct Memory Access and the Serial Peripheral Interface protocol, the system ensures efficient data transfer, significantly reduces energy consumption, and enhances the device autonomy. Data organization into Time Block Data (TBD) units, rather than files, significantly diminishes control overhead, facilitating the streamlined management of periodic data recordings in wearable devices. A comparative analysis revealed marked improvements in energy efficiency and write speed over existing file systems, validating the proposed system as an effective solution for boosting wearable device performance in health monitoring and various long-term data acquisition scenarios.

Comparison of hand, rotary, reciprocating and self-adjusting files in cleaning mesio-buccal canals of maxillary first molars.

The smear layer removal capability of different instrumentation techniques on the mesio-buccal root canals of maxillary first molars is of interest to dentists. Sixty extracted maxillary first molars with fully developed apices, curved root canals, and curvatures between 30 to 45 degrees were selected. The teeth were divided into four groups (n=15) based on the instrumentation technique used. The samples were analyzed using a thermal field emission scanning electron microscope to assess smear layer removal at the apical, middle, and coronal thirds of the canals. The Wave One file system showed superior performance in smear layer removal across all three regions of the canal compared to hand files, Hyflex CM rotary files and SAF.

Secure Processing and Distribution of Data Managed on Private InterPlanetary File System Using Zero-Knowledge Proofs

In this study, a new data-sharing method is proposed that uses a private InterPlanetary File System—a decentralized storage system operated within a closed network—to distribute data to external entities while making its authenticity verifiable. Among the two operational modes of IPFS, public and private, this study focuses on the method for using private IPFS. Private IPFS is not open to the general public; although it poses a risk of data tampering when distributing data to external parties, the proposed method ensures the authenticity of the received data. In particular, this method applies a type of zero-knowledge proof, namely, the Groth16 protocol of zk-SNARKs, to ensure that the data corresponds to the content identifier in a private IPFS. Moreover, the recipient’s name is embedded into the distributed data to prevent unauthorized secondary distribution. Experiments confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method for an image data size of up to 120 × 120 pixels. In future studies, the proposed method will be applied to larger and more diverse data types.

Design and Analysis of Cybersecurity Information Sharing Mechanism Between Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRT) in Indonesia on Blockchain Technology Through Hyperledger Composer and Interplanetary File System (IPFS)

Sharing cybersecurity information among the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) is a crucial step in enhancing organizational cybersecurity. However, a primary challenge faced is the lack of trust among users regarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of shared information. This study proposes a new approach by designing a mechanism for sharing cybersecurity information among CSIRTs in Indonesia on blockchain technology using Hyperledger Composer. This approach offers an innovative solution by leveraging the advantages of blockchain technology. Through this approach, cybersecurity information can be shared in a decentralized manner, overcoming the weaknesses of centralized systems, and enhancing overall information security. Another advantage of blockchain technology is its high performance and scalability, enabling increased speed, and user capacity in the process of sharing information. By implementing a blockchain-based mechanism for sharing cybersecurity information, this research aims to ensure crucial aspects of information security, namely confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The contribution of this study is not only in enhancing organizational cybersecurity but also in providing an innovative solution to practical challenges in sharing cybersecurity information among CSIRTs.

Postoperative Pain Comparison: Manual K-Files vs Pedoflex Rotary Files in Primary Molar Root Canals

This study evaluated postoperative pain in pediatric patients after root canal treatment with two file systems: Manual K-files and Pedoflex Rotary files. Sixty children, aged 6-10, were randomized into two groups of 30. Pain was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours post-treatment. Results showed significantly lower pain levels in the Pedoflex Rotary file group at all time points (mean VAS at 6 hours: 2.4 vs. 3.8; at 12 hours: 1.8 vs. 3.2; at 24 hours: 1.2 vs. 2.5; at 48 hours: 0.6 vs. 1.8). Pedoflex Rotary files provide a more comfortable postoperative experience.

Architecture and performance of Perlmutter's 35 PB ClusterStor E1000 all‐flash file system

SummaryNERSC's newest system, Perlmutter, features a 35 PB all‐flash Lustre file system built on HPE Cray ClusterStor E1000. We present its architecture, early performance figures, and performance considerations unique to this architecture. We demonstrate the performance of E1000 OSSes through low‐level Lustre tests that achieve over 90% of the theoretical bandwidth of the SSDs at the OST and LNet levels. We also show end‐to‐end performance for both traditional dimensions of I/O performance (peak bulk‐synchronous bandwidth) and nonoptimal workloads endemic to production computing (small, incoherent I/Os at random offsets) and compare them to NERSC's previous system, Cori, to illustrate that Perlmutter achieves the performance of a burst buffer and the resilience of a scratch file system. Finally, we discuss performance considerations unique to all‐flash Lustre and present ways in which users and HPC facilities can adjust their I/O patterns and operations to make optimal use of such architectures.

Web-Based Archiving Information System At The Ministry of Public Works and Housing Province of Jambi

This research was conducted at the Jambi Province Public Works and Public Housing Office (PUPR). This research is entitled "Design of a Website-Based Archiving Information System at the Jambi Province Public Works and Public Housing Office (PUPR)". The purpose of this research is to document the process of designing an information system that functions to provide information to the PUPR Office of Jambi Province. This research was conducted qualitatively by conducting interviews and observations with the PUPR Office of Jambi Province to complete the research. The document filing system of the Jambi Province PUPR Office was designed using the prototype method. As a result of the analysis and observations made, it can be concluded that one effective way to facilitate the work of employees in finding documents is to build a web-based archiving information system. This system is expected to produce information quickly, precisely, and accurately without reducing the value of the information itself.

MSCFS-RP: A Colored-Petri-Net-Based Analysis Model for Master–Slave Cloud File Systems with Replication Pipelining

As a typical information system, a cloud file system enables the storage, retrieval, and management of data on remote servers or server clusters. The reliable design of such systems is critical to ensure the security of data and availability of services. However, designing correct-by-construction systems is challenging due to the complexity of and concurrency inherent in cloud file systems. Further, existing works on cloud file system analysis often focus on specific systems or lack formal modeling and verification, leading to potential design flaws and security vulnerabilities. To address these issues, we propose MSCFS-RP, which is a formal analysis model based on colored Petri nets. Leveraging the strengths of colored Petri nets in representing diverse information types with colored tokens and defining explicit rules for concurrent interactions, our model captures the writing and reading processes of clients, meta servers, and clusters. With strong formalism and support for verification using CPN Tools, we rigorously evaluate key properties such as replication consistency under various scenarios. The results demonstrate that MSCFS-RP satisfies these properties, validating its effectiveness and trustworthiness in managing information within cloud storage systems.