You can apply an encryption key to a protected machine using either of two methods:
- As part of protecting a machine. When using this method, you can apply encryption to one or multiple machines simultaneously. This method lets you add a new encryption key, or apply an existing key to the selected machine or machines.
To use encryption when first defining protection for a machine, you must select the advanced options in the relevant Protect Machines Wizard. This selection adds an Encryption page to the wizard workflow. From this page, select Enable encryption, and then select an existing encryption key or specify parameters for a new key. For more information, see Protecting a machine or About protecting multiple machines, respectively.
- By modifying the configuration settings for a machine. This method applies an encryption key to one protected machine at a time. There are two approaches for modifying configuration settings for a machine in the Rapid Recovery Core:
- Modify the configuration settings for a specific protected machine. The encryption key you want to use for this approach must already exist on the Rapid Recovery Core, be a universal key type, and must be in an unlocked state. Encryption is part of the General settings. For more information, see Viewing and modifying protected machine settings.
- Click the Not Encrypted icon on the Protected Machines page. Using this approach you can create and apply a new encryption key, or assign an existing unlocked universal key to the specified protected machine. For more information, see Applying an encryption key from the Protected Machines page.
Once an encryption key has been added to aRapid Recovery Core, it can be used for any number of protected machines.
If you select an encryption key during the initial protection of one or more machines, that key is automatically applied to any machines you protect using that wizard. In such cases, this procedure is not required.
Perform this procedure:
- If you want to apply an existing, universal, unlocked encryption key to any protected machine in your Core.
- If you just added a new encryption key using the process described in the topic Adding an encryption key and want to apply that key to a protected machine.
- If encryption is already applied to a protected machine in your Core, but you want to change the key to a different universal, unlocked key available in your Core.
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Caution: After you apply an encryption key to a protected machine, Rapid Recovery takes a new base image for that machine upon the next scheduled or forced snapshot. |
- Navigate to the Rapid Recovery Core Console and click Protected Machines.
The Protected Machines page appears, listing all the machines protected by this Core. An open lock appears for any machine that does not have an encryption key applied. A closed lock indicates that a protected machine has encryption applied.
- In the Protected Machines pane, click the lock icon for the protected machine you want to configure.
The Encryption Configuration dialog box appears.
- Do one of the following:
- If you want to apply an existing encryption key to this machine, select Encrypt data using Core-based encryption with an existing key, and from the drop-down menu, select the appropriate key. Click OK to confirm.
- If you want to change an existing encryption key to a different universal, unlocked key, select Encrypt data using Core-based encryption with a new key, and from the drop-down menu, select the appropriate key. Click OK to confirm.
- If you want to create a new encryption key and apply it to this protected machine, select Encrypt data using Core-based encryption with a new key. Then enter the details for the key as described in the following table.
Table 81: New encryption key details
Name |
Enter a name for the encryption key.
Encryption key names must contain between 1 and 64 alphanumeric characters. Do not use prohibited characters or prohibited phrases. |
Description |
Enter a descriptive comment for the encryption key. This information appears in the Description field when viewing a list of encryption keys in the Rapid Recovery Core Console. Descriptions may contain up to 254 characters.
Best practice is to avoid using prohibited characters and prohibited phrases. |
Passphrase |
Enter a passphrase used to control access.
Best practice is to avoid using prohibited characters.
Record the passphrase in a secure location. Quest Data Protection Support cannot recover a passphrase. Once you create an encryption key and apply it to one or more protected machines, you cannot recover data if you lose the passphrase. |
Confirm Passphrase |
Re-enter the passphrase. It is used to confirm the passphrase entry. |
- Click OK.
The dialog box closes. The encryption key you specified has been applied to future backups for this protected machine, and the lock now appears as closed.
Optionally, if you want the encryption key applied immediately, force a snapshot. For more information, see Forcing a snapshot.
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Caution: Rapid Recovery uses AES 256-bit encryption in the Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) mode with 256-bit keys. While using encryption is optional, Quest recommends that you establish an encryption key, and that you protect the passphrase you define. Store the passphrase in a secure location as it is critical for data recovery. Without a passphrase, data recovery is not possible. |
Once an encryption key is applied to a protected machine, all subsequent snapshot data stored in the Rapid Recovery Core is encrypted.
You can disassociate an encryption key from a protected machine. This action does not decrypt the existing backup data, but does result in a new base image for that machine at the time of the next scheduled or forced snapshot.
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NOTE: If you want to remove an encryption key from the Core, as described in the topic Removing an encryption key, you must first disassociate that encryption key from all protected machines. |
Perform this procedure to disassociate an encryption key from a specific protected machine.
- Navigate to the Rapid Recovery Core Console and click Protected Machines.
The Protected Machines page appears, listing all the machines protected by this Core. An open lock appears for any machine that does not have an encryption key applied. A closed lock indicates that a protected machine has encryption applied.
- In the Protected Machines pane, click the Encrypted icon for the protected machine you want to configure.
The Encryption Configuration dialog box appears.
- Select Encrypt data using Core-based encryption with an existing key, and from the drop-down menu, select (None) and then click OK.
- If you want to remove this encryption key from the Rapid Recovery Core, first repeat this procedure for all protected machines using this key. Then perform the procedure described in the topic Removing an encryption key.
To manage encryption keys for the Rapid Recovery Core, from the icon bar, click (More) and then select Encryption Keys. The Encryption Keys page appears. For each encryption key added to your Rapid Recovery Core (if any have been defined yet), you see the information described in the following table.
Table 82: Information about each encryption key
Select Item |
For each encryption key, you can select the checkbox to perform actions from the list of menu options above the table. |
Name |
The name associated with the encryption key. |
Thumbprint |
This parameter is a 26-character alphabetic string of randomly generated English upper and lower case letters that helps uniquely identify each encryption key. |
Type |
Type describes the origin point of an encryption key and its ability to be applied. An encryption key can contain one of two possible types:
Universal. Universal type is the default condition when you create an encryption key. A key with a type of Universal, combined with a state of Unlocked, indicates that the key can be applied to a protected machine. You cannot manually lock a universal key type; instead, you must first change its type as described in the procedure Changing encryption key types.
Replication. When a protected machine in a source Core has encryption enabled, and recovery points for that machine are replicated in a target Core, any encryption keys used in the source appear automatically in the target Core with a type of Replication. The default state after receiving a replicated key is locked. You can unlock an encryption key with a type of Replication by providing the passphrase. If a key has a type of Unlocked, you can manually lock it. For more information, see the topic Unlocking an encryption key. |
State |
The state indicates whether an encryption key can be used. Two possible states include:
- Unlocked. An Unlocked state indicates that the key can be used immediately. For example, you can encrypt snapshots for a protected machine, or perform data recovery from a replicated recovery point on the target Core.
- Locked. A Locked state indicates that the key cannot be used until it is unlocked by providing the passphrase. Locked is the default state for a newly imported or replicated encryption key.
If the state of an encryption key is locked, it must be unlocked before it can be used.
If you previously unlocked a locked encryption key, and the duration to remain unlocked has expired, the state changes from unlocked to locked. After the key locks automatically, you must unlock the key again in order to use it. For more information, see the topic Unlocking an encryption key. |
Description |
The description is an optional field that is recommended to provide useful information about the encryption key such as its intended use or a passphrase hint. |
At the top level of the Encryption Keys pane, you can add an encryption key or import a key using a file exported from another Rapid Recovery Core. You can also delete keys selected in the summary table.
Once an encryption key exists for a Core, you can manage the existing keys by editing the name or description properties; changing the passphrase; unlocking a locked encryption key; or removing the key from the Rapid Recovery Core. You can also export a key to a file, which can be imported into another Rapid Recovery Core.
When you add an encryption key from the Encryption Keys page, the key appears in the list of encryption keys, but is not applied to a specific protected machine. For information on how to apply an encryption key you create from the Encryption Keys pane, or to delete a key entirely from the Rapid Recovery Core, see Applying or removing encryption keys.
From the Encryption Keys pane, you can manage security for the backup data saved to the Core for any protected machine in your repository by doing the following: