Merging multiple compute nodes with trusted platform modules utilizing authentication protocol with active trusted platform module provisioning

A multi-node computer system, comprising:

• compute nodes, each having a processor, a memory, and a bus that couples various compute node components including the memory to the processor, wherein each of the compute nodes includes firmware and a trusted platform module (TPM) accessible to the firmware on the compute node, wherein the compute nodes are connected to be available for merger into a single multi-node system, and wherein one of the compute nodes is assigned the role of master compute node and each of the remaining one(s) of the compute nodes is assigned the role of slave compute node, the multi-node computer system configured to perform a method comprising:
• executing an active TPM provisioning process between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing an active TPM provisioning process includes sending a message from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the message, a slave request from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the slave request includes key information;
• executing a challenge/response exchange between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a challenge/response exchange includes sending an encrypted challenge from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the encrypted challenge, a slave response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the encrypted challenge includes a secret encrypted using the key information, wherein the secret is generated by the master computer node's TPM, and wherein the slave response includes the secret decrypted;
• executing a quote request/response flow between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a quote request/response flow includes sending a quote request from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the quote request, a quote response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the quote response includes contents of the slave compute node's TPM and a TPM event log associated with the slave compute node's TPM.

A computer program product for merging compute nodes into a single multi-node system, each compute node having a processor, a memory, and a bus that couples various compute node components including the memory to the processor, wherein each of the compute nodes includes firmware and a trusted platform module (TPM) accessible to the firmware on the compute node, wherein the compute nodes are connected to be available for merger into the single multi-node system, wherein one of the compute nodes is assigned the role of master compute node and each of the remaining one(s) of the compute nodes is assigned the role of slave compute node, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor or other programmable data processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

• executing an active TPM provisioning process between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing an active TPM provisioning process includes sending a message from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the message, a slave request from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the slave request includes key information;
• executing a challenge/response exchange between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a challenge/response exchange includes sending an encrypted challenge from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the encrypted challenge, a slave response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the encrypted challenge includes a secret encrypted using the key information, wherein the secret is generated by the master computer node's TPM, and wherein the slave response includes the secret decrypted;
• executing a quote request/response flow between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a quote request/response flow includes sending a quote request from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the quote request, a quote response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the quote response includes contents of the slave compute node's TPM and a TPM event log associated with the slave compute node's TPM.

A method for merging compute nodes into a single multi-node system, wherein each of the compute nodes includes firmware and a trusted platform module (TPM) accessible to the firmware on the compute node, wherein the compute nodes are connected to be available for merger into the single multi-node system, wherein one of the compute nodes is assigned the role of master compute node and each of the remaining one(s) of the compute nodes is assigned the role of slave compute node, the method comprising:

• executing an active TPM provisioning process between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing an active TPM provisioning process includes sending a message from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the message, a slave request from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the slave request includes a node ID, an endorsement key (EK) certificate, a public part of an EK, and a public part of an attestation signing key (AK) and the AK name;
• executing a challenge/response exchange between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a challenge/response exchange includes sending an encrypted challenge from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the encrypted challenge, a slave response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the encrypted challenge includes a nonce encrypted using the public part of the EK, wherein the nonce is generated by the master computer node's TPM, and wherein the slave response includes the nonce decrypted using a private part of the EK;
• executing a quote request/response flow between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a quote request/response flow includes sending a quote request from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the quote request, a quote response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the quote response includes contents of the slave compute node's TPM and a TPM event log associated with the slave compute node's TPM.

A computer program product for merging compute nodes into a single multi-node system, each compute node having a processor, a memory, and a bus that couples various compute node components including the memory to the processor, wherein each of the compute nodes includes firmware and a trusted platform module (TPM) accessible to the firmware on the compute node, wherein the compute nodes are connected to be available for merger into the single multi-node system, wherein one of the compute nodes is assigned the role of master compute node and each of the remaining one(s) of the compute nodes is assigned the role of slave compute node, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor or other programmable data processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

• executing an active TPM provisioning process between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing an active TPM provisioning process includes sending a message from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the message, a slave request from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the slave request includes a node ID, an endorsement key (EK) certificate, a public part of an EK, and a public part of an attestation signing key (AK) and the AK name;
• executing a challenge/response exchange between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a challenge/response exchange includes sending an encrypted challenge from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the encrypted challenge, a slave response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the encrypted challenge includes a nonce encrypted using the public part of the EK, wherein the nonce is generated by the master computer node's TPM, and wherein the slave response includes the nonce decrypted using a private part of the EK;
• executing a quote request/response flow between the master compute node and each slave compute node, wherein executing a quote request/response flow includes sending a quote request from the master compute node to each respective slave compute node, and sending, in response to receiving the quote request, a quote response from each respective slave compute node to the master compute node, wherein the quote response includes contents of the slave compute node's TPM and a TPM event log associated with the slave compute node's TPM.