# US 2019/0356486 A1 · System and Method for Key Management in Computing Clusters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356486 A1 - Document ID: US20190356486A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/983,021 - Filed: 2018-05-17 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-17 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products, LP - Inventors: Manjunath Vishwanath; Chandrashekar Nelogal; Chitrak Gupta; Pavan Kumar G - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356486A1 ## CPC - H04L 9/0894: {Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage} - H04L 9/321: {involving a third party or a trusted authority} - H04L 9/3226: {using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083)} - H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD} - H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures} - H04L 63/062: {for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Cryptographic affinities are generated to improve security in server environments. One or more cryptographic affinities protect electronic data stored within a blade server. The cryptographic affinities are generated based on hashing a unique blade identifier and a unique identifier assigned to a network interface. The cryptographic affinities thus govern read, write, and other access operations. If any cryptographic affinity fails to match historical observance, then access to the blade server may be denied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of cryptographic security, comprising: receiving, by a hardware processor, a blade identifier associated with a blade server installed in a chassis; receiving, by the hardware processor, a host bus adapter identifier associated with a host bus adapter; and generating, by the hardware processor, a cryptographic affinity in response to hashing the blade identifier and the host bus adapter identifier using an electronic representation of a hashing algorithm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database, the electronic database electronically associating the cryptographic affinity and the blade identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the cryptographic affinity in response to a failure of at least one of the blade server and the host bus adapter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database, the electronic database electronically associating the cryptographic affinity to the blade identifier and to the host bus adapter identifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising denying an access to the blade server based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the cryptographic affinity to an electronic database that stores historical observances of the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a hardware processor; and a memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations including: receiving a blade identifier sent from a blade server installed in a chassis; retrieving a host bus adapter identifier associated with a host bus adapter interfacing with the blade server; generating a cryptographic affinity in response to hashing the blade identifier and the host bus adapter identifier using an electronic representation of a hashing algorithm; and comparing the cryptographic affinity to access electronic data stored by the blade server. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database, the electronic database electronically associating the cryptographic affinity and the blade identifier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database, the electronic database electronically associating the cryptographic affinity and the host bus adapter identifier. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the cryptographic affinity in an electronic database, the electronic database electronically associating the cryptographic affinity to the blade identifier and to the host bus adapter identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request to read electronic data stored by the blade server. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise denying the request to read the electronic data based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request to write electronic data to the blade server. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise denying the request to write the electronic data based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 17 A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a blade identifier sent from a blade server installed in a chassis; retrieving a host bus adapter identifier associated with a host bus adapter interfacing with the blade server; generating a cryptographic affinity in response to hashing the blade identifier and the host bus adapter identifier using an electronic representation of a hashing algorithm; and authorizing access to electronic data stored by the blade server based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise denying access to the blade server based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise denying a read operation based on the cryptographic affinity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise denying a write operation based on the cryptographic affinity.