Configure a hardware cryptographic keystore

 

You can create a hardware cryptographic keystore that WebSphere Application Server can use to provide cryptographic token support in the server configuration.

 

Overview

Complete the following steps in the console:

 

Procedure

1. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Manage endpoint security configurations > {Inbound | Outbound} > SSL_configuration > Key stores and certificates.

2. Click New.

3. Type a name to identify the keystore. This name is used to enable hardware cryptography in the Web services security configuration.

4. Type the path for the hardware device-specific configuration file. The configuration file is a text file that contains entries in the following format: attribute = value. The valid values for attribute and value are described in detail in the Software Developer Kit, Java Technology Edition documentation. The two mandatory attributes are name and library, as shown in the following sample code:

   name = FooAccelerator library = /opt/foo/lib/libpkcs11.so slotListIndex = 0
   

   The configuration file should also include device-specific configuration data. Navigate to the PKCS11ImplConfigSamples.jar file, which contains sample configuration files, under the heading "PKCS 11 Implementation Provider" on the Java technology site http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/50/.

   To use the IBMPKCS11Impl provider, initialize the provider individually and explicitly express the provider in the JCE getInstance method. JSEE2 is unable to use the IBMPKCS11Impl provider for acceleration.

   1. You can use this link http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/50/secguides/pkcs11implDocs/IBMJavaPKCS11ImplementationProvider.html to initialize the IBMPKCS11 provider in a thread safe way

   2. Specify a unique .cfg file that contains information about the supported hardware device. A list of supported hardware devices are available at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/50/secguides/pkcs11implDocs/IBMPKCS11SupportList.html

   3. You specify the Signature.getInstance method with the properly initialized IBMPKCS11Impl provider instance as shown.

      Signature.getInstance("SHA1withRSA", ibmpkcs11implinstance);
      

5. Type a password if the token login is required. Operations that use keys on the token require a secure login. This field is optional if the keystore is used as a cryptographic accelerator. In this case, we need to select Enable pure acceleration for hardware cryptographic operations.

6. Select the PKCS11 type.

7. Select Read only.

8. Click OK and Save.

 

Results

WAS can now provide cryptographic token support in the server configuration.

 

What to do next

You can refer to this keystore in any server SSL configuration to achieve the following results:

• Cryptographic acceleration because the cryptographic hardware device has no persistent key storage

• Secure cryptographic hardware because a cryptographic token generates and securely stores the private key that WAS uses for SSL key exchange.

You can also refer to this keystore in the Web services security default bindings configuration to achieve similar results.

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Key management for cryptographic uses