Pluggable cryptography
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsGeng Chen, Vadim Draluk, Francois Goldfain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mechanisms are provided for allowing pluggable encryption in an operating system. Modules such as proprietary cipher modules connect to a kernel cryptographic framework using cryptographic cipher adapters. Supported cryptographic ciphers as well as proprietary cryptographic ciphers can be used in a transparent manner during file system access, key management, and metadata maintenance operations. Proprietary cipher modules interact with the cryptographic cipher adapters as though the cryptographic cipher adapters are the kernel cryptographic framework. The kernel cryptographic framework interacts with the cryptographic cipher adapters as though the cryptographic cipher adapters are proprietary cipher modules.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining at a cryptographic framework that a kernel does not support a first cryptographic cipher;
- sending a cipher lookup to access a cryptographic cipher adapter, the cryptographic cipher adapter operable to connect to the first cryptographic cipher;
- performing cryptographic cipher algorithm initialization and setup;
- performing a cryptographic data transformation using the first cryptographic cipher.
A system comprising:
- a cryptographic framework operable to determine that a kernel does not support a first cryptographic cipher;
- a cryptographic cipher adapter operable to receive a cipher lookup and connect to the first cryptographic cipher;
- a processor operable to perform cryptographic cipher algorithm initialization and setup and a cryptographic data transformation using the first cryptographic cipher.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
- computer code for determining at a cryptographic framework that a kernel does not support a first cryptographic cipher;
- computer code for sending a cipher lookup to access a cryptographic cipher adapter, the cryptographic cipher adapter operable to connect to the first cryptographic cipher;
- computer code for performing cryptographic cipher algorithm initialization and setup;
- computer code for performing a cryptographic data transformation using the first cryptographic cipher.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.