Fabric OS Encryption Administrator's Guide

14 Fabric OS Encryption Administrator’s Guide

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Encryption Center features

The Encryption Center dialog box is the single launching point for all encryption-related

configuration in the Management application. It also provides a table that shows the general status

of all encryption-related hardware and functions at a glance.

FIGURE 6 Encryption Center dialog box

Beginning with Fabric OS 6.4, the Encryption Center is dynamically updated to reflect the latest

changes based on any of the following events:

• Encryption group creation or deletion.

• A change in encryption group status.

• Addition or removal of an encryption group member.

• Addition or removal of an encryption engine.

• A change in encryption engine status.

If you are using the Encryption Center for the first time, please read the following topics before you

begin to perform encryption operations:

• “Encryption user privileges” on page 15 describes the Role-based Access Control privileges

that are specific to encryption.

• “Smart card usage” on page 16 and the topics that follow describe the options available for the

use of Smart Cards for user authentication, system access control, and storing backup copies

of data encryption master keys.

• “Network connections” on page 24 describes the network connections that must be in place to

enable encryption.

• “Configuring blade processor links” on page 24 describes the steps for interconnecting

encryption switches or blades in an encryption group through a dedicated LAN. This must be

done before their encryption engines are enabled. Security parameters and certificates cannot

be exchanged if these links are not configured and active.

• “Encryption node initialization and certificate generation” on page 25 lists the security

parameters and certificates that are generated when an encryption node is initialized.

• “Steps for connecting to an SKM or ESKM appliance” on page 26 lists the supported key

manager appliances, and lists topics that provide additional detail.