Alliance Key Manager for System i

The Alliance Key Server for System i solution provides encryption key management, key retrieval, and key distribution for all of your symmetric encryption applications on System i, Windows, Linux, UNIX, and System z.

Alliance Key Server provides a key management solution that can be deployed in any data center to provide encryption key services to a wide variety of applications and platforms. Encryption keys are created, managed, and securely distributed to applications that need them. Applications on System i, Windows, Linux, UNIX, and System z platforms can securely retrieve encryption keys using an authenticated SSL/TLS encrypted session.  Alliance Key Server for System i is available as a software-only solution, or as a hardware appliance ready to deploy in your data center.

Key management

Alliance key server supports the creation and management of encryption keys for use in your business applications and databases. Encryption keys are secured and only retrieved for authenticated client applications. You can change keys automatically or manually as needed. Key import and export operations are allowed to authorized administrators in order to support the migration of existing keys to the key server, and export of keys to external systems.

Password retrieval

Alliance Key Server allows for the import of pass phrases for secure storage and retrieval. Applications that need a password or pass phrase for access to secured resources such as databases, can retrieve the pass phrase from the Alliance Key Server and use it for secured access. You can eliminate the use of pass phrases in shell scripts and applications to improve security.

Secure key retrieval

Alliance Key Server provides key retrieval to Windows, Linux, UNIX, System i and System z applications using a secure and authenticated SSL/TLS TCP connection to the key server. Alliance key server authenticates the client application before allowing key retrieval. The interface to the key server is identical for all applications in the Enterprise making the deployment of key retrieval processes easy for developers. Alliance Key Server software is not required on the client, an no additional third party software is required for key retrieval.

Key distribution

Encryption keys can be imported to the Alliance Key Server in several formats including raw, Base64 encoded, and hex encoded. You can also export encryption keys for distribution to other key management solutions. All key distribution operations are logged for compliance audit and are integrated with secure system logging.

Secure administration

Alliance Key Server provides system administration using a secure connection. The optional biometric authentication module provides strong authentication of a system administrator performing key management and configuration tasks. All key management and system administration tasks are recorded in compliance audit trails and logged to the integrated system logging facility. Alliance Key Server will report all systems management activity to a central system log server or log monitoring solution.

AES encryption for all platforms

You can use the Alliance Key Server solution with Alliance AES encryption solutions available on all Enterprise platforms including Windows, Linux, UNIX, System i, and System z. Alliance AES encryption solutions provide NIST certified AES encryption and support for all modes of encryption and all key sizes. When combined with Alliance AES encryption solutions you can deploy Enterprise-wide key management and data encryption from a single vendor.

Compliance audit and system logging

The Alliance Key Server provides compliance audit trails and system logging for all systems management, key management, and configuration options. System logs are transmitted in real time to your system logging server or log monitoring software. When combined with the biometric authentication option, additional compliance reports are available that correlate system administrator access to biometric authentication information.

High availability and disaster recovery

Alliance Key Server is compatible with a number of high availability solutions including Vision, iTera, MIMIX, and others. When purchased as a hardware appliance solution Alliance Key Server includes high availability and mirroring software and will automatically replicate to your back up key server.

Hardware and software support

Alliance Key Server for System i is available as a software-only solution for Enterprise customers with existing IBM System i server infrastructure. Alliance Key Server for System i can also be purchased as a hardware appliance ready to deploy in your data center. As an appliance the solution includes one year of hardware and software maintenance and support.