Secure Kerberized access of encrypted file system

An information handling system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;
• a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;
• a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of:
• receiving a request at a key distribution center server from a client, the requesting identifying a user and a file server;
• retrieving an intermediate key that corresponds to both the file server and the user, wherein the intermediate key is adapted to decrypt an encrypted private key utilized by the file server for decrypting encrypted file systems;
• including the intermediate key in a session ticket;
• and
• sending the session ticket to the client.

The information handling system of 7 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include:

• identifying, at the key distribution center server, an internet protocol address that corresponds to the file server;
• extracting a user name from the request that corresponds to the user;
• and
• locating the intermediate key in an intermediate storage area managed by the file server using the internet protocol address and the user name.

A computer program product stored in a computer storage device, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

• receiving a request from a client at a file server for the client to mount a file system located at the file server;
• determining, at the file server, that the requested file system is encrypted;
• sending a message from the file server to the client that informs the client that the requested file system is encrypted;
• receiving a session ticket from the client that includes a security protocol mounting selection;
• decrypting an encrypted private key at the file server that corresponds to a user, the decrypting resulting in a private key;
• decrypting the file system at the file server using the private key;
• and
• sending the decrypted file system from the file server to the client over a secure channel corresponding to the security protocol mounting selection.