Key Management Service Instance Rewiring for Data Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current key management systems (KMS) do not allow for efficient restoration of master encryption keys (MEKs) after accidental deletion, leading to inaccessible encrypted data, with the only option being a 'Force Delete' that permanently destroys key material and metadata, making data undecipherable.
Innovation Solution
A rewiring mechanism is implemented in the KMS to create a new service instance and map it to the deleted MEK, allowing users to regain access by rewiring the new instance to the old schema, thereby recovering the MEKs within a defined time frame before permanent deletion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a serviceinstance is deleted in the KMS, then the key material and metadata are permanently destroyed, but the encrypted data becomes inaccessible and undecipherable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by creating a new serviceinstance before the old one is completely deleted. This new serviceinstance is pre-configured to map to the same key material, ensuring continuous accessibility. The deletion process is designed to remove only the metadata of the old serviceinstance while preserving the key material, allowing the new serviceinstance to inherit and use the preserved key material for decrypting encrypted data.
2Reliability
If a new serviceinstance is created to replace a deleted one, then data accessibility is restored, but the system complexity increases due to mapping relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the key material from the deleted serviceinstance and separates it from the serviceinstance metadata. By taking out the key material independently, the system allows the new serviceinstance to be created without copying the entire serviceinstance structure, reducing complexity. The new serviceinstance only needs to establish a mapping relationship with the preserved key material, simplifying the overall system architecture compared to full serviceinstance replication.
3Ease of repair
If the KMS allows restoration of deleted serviceinstances, then data can be recovered, but the security risk increases due to potential accidental deletions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the serviceinstance into two independent components: metadata and key material. The metadata can be deleted and recreated without affecting the key material, which is preserved in a secure manner. This segmentation allows the system to provide recovery functionality by creating a new serviceinstance that maps to the preserved key material, while maintaining security through controlled key material preservation and access management.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed to rewiring a key management system (“KMS”) service instance (“SI”) with associated keys. Embodiments, in response to a request, delete a first SI that is mapped to one or more keys. To restore the keys, embodiments create a second SI and map the second SI to the one or more keys.