Fortanix Data Security Manager with MSSQL Server TDE - Mirror Database

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1.0 Introduction

This article provides detailed steps for seamlessly integrating Microsoft SQL Server with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) in a database configured for mirroring. The procedures outlined here have been thoroughly tested on two servers: Server 1, serving as the nominal principal node, and Server 2, the nominal mirror node. Notably, the configuration employs Fortanix Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) without shared disk architecture.

These integration steps apply to each database, including both the primary and replicas, for which TDE encryption is to be enabled. Before initiating the integration, it is assumed that the target database:

  • Already exists.

  • Is not currently encrypted and does not contain a Data Encryption Key (TDE DEK).

  • Has never been encrypted previously. If it has, you may encounter errors requiring a transaction log backup.

NOTE

The examples provided herein use a database named SourceDatabase for encryption, and the database wrapping key is referenced as SQL_Server_Key in the Fortanix-Data-Security-Manager (DSM) and as ekm_login_key in the master database. You can customize names and parameters according to your specific requirements. Additionally, these steps also assume that no wrapping key with the same name already exists in either Fortanix DSM or the master database.

Before proceeding with the integration, ensure the following prerequisites:

  • The database has been recently backed up.

  • If you have a preferred server for the principal role, ensure a failover to that server.

  • Ensure that the initial roles (principal or replica) are assigned to each server role.

Follow the subsequent steps in the specified order. The article assumes that the server nodes retain their initial principal or replica state.

NOTE

Ensure that you have performed the steps from the Data Security Manager with Microsoft SQL TDE Integration – Before You Begin guide.

2.0 TDE Configurations

Perform the following procedures on both the primary and secondary replicas.

2.1 Enabling TDE Features

Run the following commands if Extensible Key Management (EKM) is not supported or enabled in the SQL Server Edition:

sp_configure 'show advanced', 1
GO
RECONFIGURE
GO
sp_configure 'EKM provider enabled', 1
GO
RECONFIGURE
GO
Picture1.png

Figure 1: Run Commands for Error Scenario

2.2 Creating Cryptographic Provider

Run the following commands to use the correct location of the EKM DLL:

CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER EKM_Prov
FROM FILE = 'C:\Program Files\Fortanix\KmsClient\FortanixKmsEkmProvider.dll' ;
GO

Where,

  • EKM_Prov refers to the name of the provider defined by the user.

Picture2.png

Figure 2: Create a cryptographic provider

2.3 Creating Credentials (SYSadmin)

This section describes the steps to create the credentials to generate the Master Encryption Key (MEK) on the Fortanix DSM using the SQL admin.

  1. Run the following commands to create a credential in your SQL Server Studio that will be used by the system administrators:

    CREATE CREDENTIAL sa_ekm_tde_cred
    WITH IDENTITY = 'Identity1',
    SECRET = '<DSM_API_KEY>' 
    FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER EKM_Prov ;
    GO

    Where,

    Picture4.png

    Figure 3: Create a credential

  2. Add the credential to a highly privileged user, such as your own domain login, in the format [DOMAIN\login]:

    ALTER LOGIN EC2AMAZ-1RDPAEU\Administrator
    ADD CREDENTIAL "sa_ekm_tde_cred";
    GO

    Run the following commands in case there is no domain, and the machine is part of a workgroup or standalone:

    ALTER LOGIN LOCALHOST\Administrator
    ADD CREDENTIAL "sa_ekm_tde_cred";
    GO
    Picture5.png

    Figure 4: Command for no domain

    If you are not an administrator and hence unable to alter the login, right-click the Properties and select the Object Explorer option. Navigate to Security → Logins → <login user> and map the credentials as shown in the following image:

    Picture6.png

    Figure 4: Map credentials

2.4 Creating an Asymmetric Key

The MSSQL admin has the credentials associated with creating the MEK on the Fortanix DSM. This section describes the steps to create the asymmetric key.

2.4.1 On Principle Replica

Run the following commands to create an asymmetric key stored inside the EKM provider:

USE master ;
GO
CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY ekm_login_key
FROM PROVIDER EKM_Prov
WITH ALGORITHM = RSA_2048,
CREATION_DISPOSITION=CREATE_NEW,
PROVIDER_KEY_NAME = 'SQL_Server_Key'; 
GO

Where,

  • ekm_login_key refers to the master key alias on the MSSQL database.

  • EKM_Prov refers to the Fortanix EKM Provider.

  • SQL_Server_Key refers to the key created on the Fortanix DSM.

NOTE

It is recommended to add versions to the Fortanix DSM keys for an easier key rotation process.

For example:

USE master;
GO
CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY ekm_login_key_v1
FROM PROVIDER [EKM_Prov]
WITH ALGORITHM = RSA_2048,
CREATION_DISPOSITION=CREATE_NEW,
PROVIDER_KEY_NAME = 'SQL_Server_Key_v1';
GO
Picture7.png

Figure 5: Create an asymmetric key

2.4.2 On Replica Nodes

Run the following commands to create an asymmetric key on all the replica nodes:

USE master
CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY ekm_login_key 
FROM PROVIDER EKM_Prov
WITH PROVIDER_KEY_NAME='SQL_Server_Key',
CREATION_DISPOSITION = OPEN_EXISTING; 
GO

Where,

  • ekm_login_key refers to the master key alias on the MSSQL database.

  • EKM_Prov refers to the Fortanix EKM Provider.

  • SQL_Server_Key refers to the key created on the Fortanix DSM.

2.5 Creating Credentials (DB Engine)

Run the following commands to create a credential that will be used by the database engine:

USE master;
CREATE CREDENTIAL ekm_tde_cred
WITH IDENTITY = 'Identity2',
SECRET = '<DSM_API_KEY>'
FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER EKM_Prov;

Where,

Picture8.png

Figure 6: Create credential for database engine

2.6 Creating Login (DB Engine)

Run the following commands to add a login used by TDE and add the new credential to the login:

CREATE LOGIN EKM_Login
FROM ASYMMETRIC KEY ekm_login_key ;
GO
ALTER LOGIN EKM_Login
ADD CREDENTIAL ekm_tde_cred ;
GO

Where,

Picture9.png

Figure 7: Add new credential to login

3.0 Enabling Encryption

Perform the following steps only on the principal node and monitor the status using the monitoring command on the principal or replica nodes.

3.1 Creating Data Encryption Key (DEK)

Run the following commands to create the Data Encryption Key (DEK) that will be used for TDE:

USE employee
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER ASYMMETRIC KEY ekm_login_key ;
GO

Where,

  • employee refers to the database name.

  • ekm_login_key refers to the master key alias on the MSSQL database.

3.2 Enabling TDE on Database

Run the following commands to alter the database to enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE):

ALTER DATABASE employee
SET ENCRYPTION ON ;
GO
Picture10.png

Figure 8: Enable TDE

4.0 Monitoring TDE Progress

NOTE

You must monitor the TDE on all the replicas to ensure that TDE is enabled on all the target servers.

SQL Server keeps track of the encryption progress, and we can pull that information by querying sys.dm_database_encryption_keys. Particularly, ‘Percent_Complete’ and ‘encryption_state’ are the two columns that are required to understand the progress of TDE. ‘encryption_state’ column returns an integer value (0-6) which indicates the encryption status of the database and ‘percent_complete’ column tells us the percent completed of the DB encryption state change.

Encryption_state (int)

Description

0

No database encryption key present, no encryption

1

Unencrypted

2

Encryption in progress

3

Encrypted

4

Key change in progress

5

Decryption in progress

6

Protection changes in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed).

The following T-SQL statement can be used to monitor TDE progress or status:

SELECT DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete,encryptor_thumbprint, encryptor_type FROM sys.dm_database_encryption_keys

The output of this query comes in handy to manage TDE.