Think of a reconstitution file as a collection of tiny keys in which each key unlocks a small
encryption. There may be thousands of these tiny keys. Pryvit key collections are never the same twice.
Part of their value is their unpredictability.
There is normally one key collection or "reconstitution file" created for
each set of files that has been privatized with Pryvit. For high security situations, cascading fragmentation
may be used, in which case there is one reconstitution file for each of the two to seven cascades. The
reconstitution files are tailored to the computer on which the fragmentation is carried out; these
"master" copies cannot be used on other computers. From a master reconstitution file, additional
reconstitution files may be created to support retrieval by other computers
of the same set of data files. There will be one reconstitution file for each target
computer that is to be given the right to reconstitute the files. (See
how to make additional reconstitution files for other
computers.)
A reconstitution file holds all that is needed to recover files from their
dispersed fragments. They tell where the fragment heaps are to be found, the names of other reconstitution files
(if multiple cascading was used), what random tables are to be used. Reconstitution files should be regarded
as highly sensitive documents from the
standpoint of security. Since they are small, they may be readily offloaded
onto other media and removed offsite, away from the one computer that can use
them. If they are kept offline, no-one can data mine your files.
