6 Managing Keystores and TDE Master Encryption Keys in Isolated Mode

Isolated mode enables you to create a keystore for each pluggable database (PDB).

About Managing Keystores and TDE Master Encryption Keys in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, where a pluggable database (PDB) has its own keystore, you manage the keystore and its TDE master encryption keys from the PDB only.

Similar to united mode, you must first configure a PDB to use isolated mode by setting the WALLET_ROOT and TDE_CONFIGURATION parameters. After you set these parameters, you can create and manage the keystore from the PDB. In this way, you can have the following scenario:

  • The united mode settings in the CDB root will apply to all PDBs that do not have isolated mode settings. For example, the keystore that you create in the CDB root will be used by the root’s associated united mode PDBs.

  • The PDBs that are configured in isolated mode are allowed to independently create and manage their own keystore. An isolated mode PDB can have its own keystore, independent of the keystore of the CDB root.

This scenario is useful in cases where you have many PDBs that must use one type of keystore, but you have a few PDBs that must use a different type. By different types of keystores, this refers to either a TDE software keystore or to one of the hardware keystores that Oracle supports (for example, Oracle Key Vault, Safenet, or Cloud Key Management Service). You cannot have a mixture of different hardware keystore types in one CDB environment because the Oracle server can load only one PKCS#11 vendor library. If necessary, you can configure these PDBs in isolated mode so that each PDB can use its own keystore.

An advantage of configuring a PDB in isolated mode is that it improves the performance of rekey operations in the PDB as compared to the rekey performance in united mode when there are a large number of encrypted PDBs.

In a CDB when the number of encrypted PDBs is large, configuring a PDB in isolated mode allows the performance of the rekey operation in that PDB to remain similar to the performance of a rekey operation in a standalone system, and remain constant as the number of encrypted PDBs in the overall system increases.

Operations That Are Allowed in Isolated Mode

You can perform many ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT operations in isolated mode.

These operations include creating, backing up, opening keystores; changing keystore passwords, merging keystores, closing keystores; creating, activating, tagging, moving, exporting, importing, and migrating encryption keys; and adding, updating, and deleting client secrets.

Table 6-1 describes the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT operations that you can perform in an isolated mode PDB.

Table 6-1 ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT Isolated Mode Operations

Operation Syntax Isolated Mode Notes

Creating a keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
CREATE KEYSTORE ['keystore_location']
IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

You can create password-protected, local auto-login, and auto-login keystores in an isolated mode PDB.

The keystore_location clause is optional only when you have set the WALLET_ROOT parameter. Otherwise, it is mandatory.

Creating an auto-login keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
CREATE [LOCAL] AUTO_LOGIN KEYSTORE 
FROM KEYSTORE ['keystore_location'] 
IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

The keystore_location is optional if the WALLET_ROOT parameter is set.

Opening a keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET KEYSTORE OPEN
[FORCE KEYSTORE]
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password];

In this operation, the EXTERNAL_STORE clause uses the password in the wallet. In a non-multitenant (standalone) environment, the wallet is configured at the location set by the EXTERNAL_KEYSTORE_CREDENTIAL_LOCATION initialization parameter. In a multitenant environment the wallet is configured in the tde_seps directory in the WALLET_ROOT location. This wallet contains the password of the keystore.

For a PDB in isolated mode, the wallet used by the EXTERNAL_STORE clause must be configured at the WALLET_ROOT/PDB_GUID/tde_seps location.

Changing a keystore password

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD
IDENTIFIED BY old_keystore_password
SET new_keystore_password  
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Backing up a keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
BACKUP KEYSTORE 
[USING 'backup_identifier']
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
[TO 'keystore_location'];

-

Merging the contents of one keystore into an existing keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
MERGE KEYSTORE 'keystore_location1'
[IDENTIFIED BY keystore1_password]
INTO EXISTING KEYSTORE 'keystore_location2'
IDENTIFIED BY keystore2_password
WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Merging the contents of two keystores to create a third keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
MERGE KEYSTORE 'keystore_location1'
[IDENTIFIED BY keystore1_password]
AND KEYSTORE 'keystore_location2'
[IDENTIFIED BY keystore2_password]
INTO NEW KEYSTORE 'keystore_location3'
IDENTIFIED BY keystore3_password;

-

Closing a keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET KEYSTORE CLOSE
[IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]];

-

Closing the keystore of the CDB root when a PDB in isolated mode has its keystore open

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
FORCE KEYSTORE CLOSE
[IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]];

The FORCE clause allows the keystore to be closed in the CDB root even when a PDB in isolated mode still has its keystore open

Creating and activating a new TDE master encryption key (rekeying)

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET [ENCRYPTION] KEY 
[USING TAG 'tag_name']
[FORCE KEYSTORE]
IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password
]WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Creating a user-defined TDE master encryption key for either now (SET) or later on (CREATE

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT [SET | CREATE] [ENCRYPTION] KEY
'mkid:mk | mk' 
[USING ALGORITHM 'algorithm'] 
[FORCE KEYSTORE]
[USING TAG 'tag_name']
IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
[WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']]
[CONTAINER = CURRENT];

-

Activating an existing TDE master encryption key

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
USE [ENCRYPTION] KEY 'key_id' 
[USING TAG 'tag']
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Tagging a TDE master encryption key

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET TAG 'tag' FOR 'key_id'
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Exporting a TDE master encryption key

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
EXPORT [ENCRYPTION] KEYS 
WITH SECRET secret
TO 'filename'
IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password
[WITH IDENTIFIER IN 
{ 'key_id' [, 'key_id' ]... | 
( subquery ) }];

-

Importing a TDE master encryption key

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
IMPORT [ENCRYPTION] KEYS 
WITH SECRET secret
FROM 'filename'
IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password
[WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier']];

-

Migrating a TDE master encryption key from a software keystore to an HSM

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET [ENCRYPTION] KEY
IDENTIFIED BY HSM_auth_string
[FORCE KEYSTORE]
MIGRATE USING software_keystore_password
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Reverse-migrating a TDE master encryption key from an HSM to a software keystore

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
SET [ENCRYPTION] KEY
IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore_password
REVERSE MIGRATE USING HSM_auth_string;

-

Adding a client secret

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
ADD SECRET 'secret'
FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier'
[USING TAG 'tag_name' ]
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Updating a client secret

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
UPDATE SECRET 'secret'
FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier'
[USING TAG 'tag_name' ]
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Deleting a client secret

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
DELETE SECRET
FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier'
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
WITH BACKUP 
[USING 'backup_identifier'];

-

Isolate a PDB

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
ISOLATE KEYSTORE
IDENTIFIED BY isolated_keystore_password
FROM ROOT KEYSTORE
[FORCE KEYSTORE]
IDENTIFIED BY
[EXTERNAL STORE | united_keystore_password]
WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id];

This operation performs two actions. First, it changes the TDE_CONFIGURATION of the PDB so that it is in isolated mode. Second, it moves the TDE master encryption key and all previously active (historical) TDE master encryption keys from the keystore of the CDB root to a newly-created keystore for the PDB having its own password, where the PDB will be able to manage its own keys.

Operations That Are Not Allowed in an Isolated Mode PDB

There are several ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT operations that you cannot perform in an isolated mode PDB.

These operations include the following:

  • Using the CONTAINER = ALL clause to create a new TDE master encryption key for later use in each pluggable database (PDB)

  • Moving encryption keys from the keystore of the CDB root into a keystore of a PDB that is configured in isolated mode

Configuring the Keystore Location and Type for Isolated Mode

For isolated mode, you can configure the keystore location and type by using only parameters or a combination of parameters and the ALTER SYSTEM statement.

Configuring Isolated Mode

You can configure isolated mode by setting WALLET_ROOT in the initialization parameter file in the CDB root and TDE_CONFIGURATION in the PDB you want to isolate.

Configuring the WALLET_ROOT and TDE_CONFIGURATION parameters for the CDB environment is a similar procedure as the one you would use to configure united mode, except rather than using the RESET clause of the ALTER SYSTEM statement, you use the SET clause. You can perform the configuration by adding the WALLET_ROOT and TDE_CONFIGURATION parameters to the initialization parameter file. To configure a PDB in isolated mode, you must set a value for the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter of the PDB, which you can do either by using the ALTER SYSTEM statement or by issuing the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ISOLATE KEYSTORE statement. This section focuses on the use of the ALTER SYSTEM statement.

Depending on whether your system uses pfile or spfile, you must set the SCOPE clause in the ALTER SYSTEM statement appropriately when setting the value of the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter for the PDB. The value of the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter is a list of attribute-value pairs, and it is the value of the KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION attribute that specifies the type of the keystore, as follows:

  • FILE specifies a software keystore

  • OKV specifies an Oracle Key Vault hardware keystore)

  • HSM specifies a hardware security module keystore

  • FILE|OKV specifies a reverse-migration from the OKV keystore type to the FILE keystore type has occurred

  • FILE|HSM specifies a reverse-migration from the HSM keystore type to the FILE keystore type has occurred

  • OKV|FILE specifies a migration from the FILE keystore type to the OKV keystore type has occurred

  • HSM|FILE specifies a migration from the FILE keystore type to the HSM keystore type has occurred

After you have used ALTER SYSTEM to configure the TDE_CONFIGURATION value for the selected PDB, the PDB in the CDB environment is in isolated mode. The steps in this procedure explain in detail how to configure an individual PDB to be in isolated mode, using its own keystore type.

  1. Connect to the PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Run the ALTER SYSTEM statement to configure the WALLET_ROOT and TDE_CONFIGURATION parameters for the CDB environment.
    • If the CDB root and the PDB are open, then set SCOPE to both:
      ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=keystore_type" SCOPE=both;
    • If the CDB root is open and the PDB is in the mount state, then set scope to spfile:
      ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=keystore_type" SCOPE=spfile;
  3. Check the configuration.
    • To check the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter setting:
      SHOW PARAMETER TDE_CONFIGURATION
      

      The output should reflect the keystore configuration that you set for the current PDB. If it shows a different keystore configuration (for example, FILE if you had set it to OKV), then the setting may be showing the keystore configuration that was set for the CDB root, in united mode.

    • To check the keystore mode:
      SELECT KEYSTORE_MODE FROM V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET;

      The output should be ISOLATED.

After you configure isolated mode, the CDB root keystore that was available to the PDB when it was in united mode is no longer available to this PDB. At this stage, the PDB is configured to use its own keystore. If the KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION parameter was FILE (meaning that the PDB is configured to use a software keystore), then the keystore location configured for the PDB is WALLET_ROOT/PDB-GUID/tde. If a keystore exists at that location and contains a TDE master encryption key, then that key is only available to this PDB, not to any other PDB. If no keystore exists at that location, you now can now proceed to create a software keystore and set a TDE master encryption key. If you later decide that you want the isolated mode PDB to become a united mode PDB again, then you can use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT UNITE KEYSTORE statement. When you run ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT UNITE KEYSTORE, it moves the keys from the PDB's keystore to the keystore of the CDB root, but it leaves any client secrets behind. So if there were no client secrets in the first place, then it would leave the PDB's keystore essentially "empty". It can now be backed up, and removed. Always back up keystores before you remove them, even empty keystores.

Example: Restoring an Older Version of a Control File

You can set TDE_CONFIGURATION if you have an older version of a control file that must be restored and only a few PDBs were configured in isolated mode.

When the CDB root and the PDB are both in the mount state, then you can only change the PDB’s keystore configuration from the CDB root.

  1. Log in to the CDB root as a user who was granted the SYSDBA administrative privilege.

  2. For each PDB that you want to change, use the following syntax:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=pdb_name;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=keystore_type" SCOPE=memory;
    

    For example, for the hrpdb and salespdb PDBs using FILE (for software keystores) as the keystore type:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=hrpdb;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE" SCOPE=memory;
    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=salespdb;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE" SCOPE=memory;
    
  3. After you set the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter for each PDB, log in to the CDB root and then set TDE_CONFIGURATION for the CDB root itself.

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE";

    At this stage, CDB root is in the mounted state. The value of the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter that was set using ALTER SYSTEM with the CONTAINER attribute is only present in the memory of the CDB root. To ensure that the configuration is properly applied to each PDB, you must close and then reopen the PDB. When an isolated mode PDB is opened, the configuration set by the ALTER SYSTEM statement that was issued in the CDB root is read from the control file and then is automatically applied to the PDB.

  4. Connect to each PDB and then close and reopen the PDB.

    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name CLOSE IMMEDIATE;
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name OPEN;

Example: Addressing the Problem of a Lost Control File

You can address the problem of a lost control file by using the ALTER SYSTEM statement.

Running these statements with SCOPE set to memory will store the CONTAINER value in memory. When you open the isolated PDB, this configuration will automatically be updated for the PDB.

If you are using an Oracle Data Guard environment, then to correct the control file, run these statements on both the primary and the standby databases.

  1. Log in to the CDB root as a user who was granted the SYSDBA administrative privilege.

  2. If you are unsure of the exact state of the system, then you should run ALTER SYSTEM with RESET.

    For example:

    ALTER SYSTEM RESET TDE_CONFIGURATION SCOPE=memory;
  3. For each PDB that you want to change, use the following syntax:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=pdb_name;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE" SCOPE=memory; 
    

    For example, for the hrpdb and salespdb PDBs with FILE (for software keystores) as the keystore type:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=hrpdb;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE" SCOPE=memory; 
    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="CONTAINER=salespdb;KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE" SCOPE=memory; 
    
  4. After you set the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter for each PDB, log in to the CDB root and then set TDE_CONFIGURATION for the CDB root itself.

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=FILE";

    At this stage, CDB root is in the mounted state. The value of the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter that was set using ALTER SYSTEM with the CONTAINER attribute is only present in the memory of the CDB root. To ensure that the configuration is properly applied to each PDB, you must close and then reopen the PDB. When an isolated mode PDB is opened, the configuration set by the ALTER SYSTEM statement that was issued in the CDB root is read from the control file and then is automatically applied to the PDB.

  5. Connect to each PDB and then close and reopen the PDB.

    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name CLOSE IMMEDIATE;
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name OPEN;

Example: Configuring Isolated Mode in an Oracle Real Application Clusters Environment

You can use ALTER SYSTEM to configure isolated mode in an Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) environment.

  1. To ensure that the effect of the ALTER SYSTEM statement is applied on each Oracle RAC node, specify the wildcard (*) in the SID clause of the ALTER SYSTEM statement, as follows. You can run this statement from either the CDB root or a PDB.

    ALTER SYSTEM SET TDE_CONFIGURATION="KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION=keystore_type" SID='*';
  2. If you ran this statement in the CDB root, then restart the database. If you executed it from a PDB, then close and open the PDB.

Configuring a Keystore and TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, the software keystore is associated with a PDB.

About Configuring a Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

You can create all types of software keystores in isolated mode: password-protected, password protected with the credential provided from an external store, auto-login, local auto-login.

To enable encryption in the PDB after it is configured in isolated mode with the KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION attribute set to FILE (that is, to use a software keystore), you must create a software keystore, open the software keystore, and then set a TDE master encryption key in the software keystore. Afterward, you can begin to encrypt data for tables and tablespaces that will be accessible in the PDB.

In a multitenant environment, you can create a secure external store to hold the credentials of the software keystore. This feature enables you to hide the keystore password: it removes the need for storing the keystore password in any script or tool that accesses the database without user intervention, such as an overnight batch script. When the WALLET_ROOT parameter is specified, the location of the external store for the CDB root is WALLET_ROOT/tde_seps and for the PDB it is WALLET_ROOT/PDB-GUID/tde_seps. When the WALLET_ROOT parameter is set, there is no longer a single central external store, so when a keystore password is updated, the corresponding external store must be updated as well. When the WALLET_ROOT parameter is not specified, then the location of the external store is the same for both the CDB root and for every PDB. The external store location must then be set by the EXTERNAL_KEYSTORE_CREDENTIAL_LOCATION initialization parameter. When the WALLET_ROOT parameter is not specified, then there is a single central external store, so when you update the keystore password, only the central external store at the EXTERNAL_KEYSTORE_CREDENTIAL_LOCATION must be updated.

In a multitenant environment, different PDBs can access this external store location when you run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement using the IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE clause. This way, you can centrally locate the password and then update it only once in the external store.

Step 1: Create a Software Keystore in a PDB Configured in Isolated Mode

A password-protected software keystore requires a password to protect the keystore keys and credentials.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
    For example:
    sqlplus sec_admin@hrpdb as syskm
    Enter password: password

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SQL statement to create the keystore using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE 
    ['keystore_location'] 
    IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore_password;
    

    In this specification:

    • keystore_location is the path to the keystore directory location of the password-protected keystore. If the path that is set by the WALLET_ROOT parameter is the path that you want to use, then you can omit the keystore_location setting.

      If you specify the keystore_location, then enclose it in single quotation marks (' '). To find this location, you can query the WRL_PARAMETER column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view. (If the keystore was not created in the default location, then the STATUS column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view is NOT_AVAILABLE.)

    • software_keystore_password is the password of the keystore that you, the security administrator, creates.

    For example, to create the keystore in the default location (assuming WALLET_ROOT is set):

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY password;
    keystore altered.
    
After you complete these steps, the ewallet.p12 file, which is the keystore, appears in the default keystore location under the WALLET_ROOT which you have configured. For example, if you had set the WALLET_ROOT parameter to $ORACLE_BASE/wallet and set the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter to FILE (indicating that a software keystore is configured for the PDB that is in isolated mode), then the keystore of the PDB will be created in the $ORACLE_BASE/wallet/PDB-GUID/tde directory.

Step 2: Open the Software Keystore in an Isolated Mode PDB

To open a software keystore in isolated mode, you must use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET KEYSTORE OPEN clause.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement to open the keystore.
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY password;
    keystore altered.

    To switch over to opening the password-protected software keystore when an auto-login keystore is configured and is currently open, specify the FORCE KEYSTORE clause as follows.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE;
    keystore altered.

    Here, the IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE clause is included in the statement because the keystore credentials exist in an external store. This enables the password-protected keystore to be opened without specifying the keystore password within the statement itself.

    If the WALLET_ROOT parameter has been set, then Oracle Database finds the external store by searching in this path: WALLET_ROOT/PDB_GUID/tde_seps.

  3. Confirm that the keystore is open.
    SELECT STATUS FROM V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET;

Step 3: Set the TDE Master Encryption Key in the Software Keystore of the Isolated Mode PDB

To set the TDE master encryption key in a software keystore in an isolated mode PDB, use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET KEY clause.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Ensure that the database is open in READ WRITE mode.
    To find the status, run the show pdbs command.
  3. Run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SQL statement to set the key in the software keystore.
    For example, if the keystore of the PDB is password-protected, the PDB is open, and the keystore of the PDB is open:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';
    
    keystore altered.

    If the keystore is closed:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';
    
    keystore altered.

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE should be included if the keystore is closed. This automatically opens the keystore before setting the TDE master encryption key. The FORCE KEYSTORE clause also switches over to opening the password-protected software keystore when an auto-login keystore is configured and is currently open.

    • IDENTIFIED BY specifies the keystore password. Alternatively, if the keystore password is in an external store, you can use the IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE clause.

  4. Confirm that the TDE master encryption key is set.
    SELECT MASTERKEY_ACTIVATED FROM V$DATABASE_KEY_INFO;

    The output should be YES.

Step 4: Encrypt Your Data in Isolated Mode

Now that you have completed the keystore configuration and the PDB is configured in isolated mode, you can begin to encrypt data in the PDB.

Configuring a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

There are two different types of hardware keystores that Oracle Database supports: hardware security modules (HSM) or Oracle Key Vault (OKV) keystores.

About Configuring a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

You can configure a hardware keystore for a PDB when the PDB is configured in isolated mode.

To configure a hardware keystore for a PDB in isolated mode, you first must set the WALLET_ROOT parameter. This is necessary for two reasons: first, to have support for migrating to a software keystore in the future, and second, because the configuration file for Oracle Key Vault is retrieved from a location under WALLET_ROOT. Afterwards, you must set the KEYSTORE_CONFIGURATION attribute of the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter to HSM or OKV, open the configured hardware keystore, and then set the TDE master encryption key for the PDB. After you complete these tasks, you can begin to encrypt data in the PDB.

How you specify the IDENTIFIED BY clause when you run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement depends on the type of hardware keystore. For a hardware security module (HSM), you use the following syntax:

IDENTIFIED BY "user_name:password"

For an Oracle Key Vault keystore, you can omit the user_name and colon, but you must enclose the password in quotation marks:

IDENTIFIED BY "password"

Step 1: Configure the Hardware Security Module for the Isolated Mode PDB

To configure a third-party hardware security module, you must copy your vendor’s PKCS#11 library to the correct location and follow your vendor's instructions.

Step 2: Open the Hardware Keystore in an Isolated Mode PDB

To open a hardware keystore in an isolated mode PDB, you must use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET KEYSTORE OPEN clause.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
    For example:
    sqlplus sec_admin@hrpdb as syskm
    Enter password: password

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Open the hardware keystore by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials";
    

    The type of hardware keystore determines how you specify the hardware keystore password. For hardware security modules, you must use the user_name:password syntax. For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY "psmith:password";
    
    keystore altered.

    For an Oracle Key Vault keystore, you can only provide the password. No user name is allowed in the IDENTIFIED BY clause. Enclose the password in double quotation marks.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY "password";
  3. Repeat this procedure each time you restart the database instance.
    You must open the keystore of the CDB root first.

Step 3: Set TDE Master Encryption Key in the Hardware Keystore of a PDB in Isolated Mode

After you have opened the hardware keystore in an isolated mode PDB, you are ready to set the TDE master encryption key for the PDB.

Setting a New TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

You should complete this procedure if you have not previously configured a hardware keystore for Transparent Data Encryption.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Ensure that the database is open in READ WRITE mode.
    You can set the TDE master encryption key if OPEN_MODE is set to READ WRITE. To find the status, run the show pdbs command.
  3. Set the new TDE master encryption key by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    [USING TAG 'tag'] 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | "hardware_keystore_credentials"];
    

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation if the keystore is closed if an auto-login keystore is configured and is currently open, or if a password-protected keystore is configured and is currently closed.

    • IDENTIFIED BY can be one of the following settings:

      • EXTERNAL STORE uses the keystore password stored in the external store to perform the keystore operation.

      • hardware_keystore_credentials refers to the credentials for either an HSM or an Oracle Key Vault hardware keystore. For an HSM, specify the credentials using this format, enclosed in quotation marks and separating the components with a colon: user_name:password, with user_name being the user who created the HSM and password being this user’s password. For Oracle Key Vault, enter only the password of the user who created the keystore. Enclose this password with quotation marks.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY "psmith:password";
    
    keystore altered.
  4. Confirm that the TDE master encryption key is set.
    SELECT MASTERKEY_ACTIVATED FROM V$DATABASE_KEY_INFO;

    The output should be YES.

Migration of a Previously Configured Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

You must migrate the previously configured master encryption key if you previously configured a software keystore.

Step 4: Encrypt Your Data in Isolated Mode

Now that you have completed the keystore configuration and the PDB is configured in isolated mode, you can begin to encrypt data in the PDB.

Administering Keystores and TDE Master Encryption Keys in Isolated Mode

After you create a keystore and a TDE master encryption key in isolated mode, you can perform administration tasks such as rekeying or tagging encryption keys.

To change the password of a hardware keystore, you must use the administrative interface of the hardware keystore. You cannot perform this operation by using the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement.

Changing the Keystore Password in Isolated Mode

You can change the password of a software keystore when the PDB is in isolated mode.

To change the password of a hardware keystore, you must use the administrative interface of the hardware keystore. You cannot perform this operation by using the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement.

Changing the Password-Protected Software Keystore Password in Isolated Mode

To change the password of a password-protected software keystore in isolated mode, you must use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

  2. Change the password for the keystore by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY
    old_password SET new_password 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation if the keystore is closed if an auto-login keystore is configured and is currently open, or if a password-protected keystore is configured and is currently closed.

    • old_password is the current keystore password that you want to change.

    • new_password is the new password that you set for the keystore.

    The following example creates a backup of the keystore and then changes the keystore password:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD 
    IDENTIFIED BY
    old_password SET new_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'pwd_change';
    
    keystore altered.

    This example performs the same operation but uses the FORCE KEYSTORE clause in case the auto-login software keystore is in use or the password-protected software keystore is closed.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY
    old_password SET new_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'pwd_change';
    
    keystore altered.
Changing the Password of a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

To change the password of a hardware keystore, you must close the hardware keystore and then change the password from the hardware keystore’s management interface.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Close the hardware keystore.

    For example, for an HSM:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE 
    IDENTIFIED BY "psmith:password";
    

    For a hardware keystore whose password is stored externally:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE 
    IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE;
  3. From the hardware security module management interface, change the hardware security module password.

  4. Update the credentials of the HSM in the external store to use "user_name:password".

    Currently, the external store contains the old HSM credentials, which would no longer work.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
    UPDATE SECRET 'user_name:password' 
    FOR CLIENT 'TDE_WALLET' 
    TO LOCAL AUTO_LOGIN KEYSTORE '/etc/ORACLE/WALLETS/orcl/external_store';
  5. In SQL*Plus, open the hardware keystore.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY "psmith:new_password";
    

    For a hardware keystore whose password is stored externally:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE;

Backing Up a Password-Protected Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

The BACKUP KEYSTORE clause of the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement backs up a password-protected software keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    For example:

    sqlplus sec_admin@hrpdb as syskm
    Enter password: password
    Connected.
    

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Back up the keystore by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT BACKUP KEYSTORE 
    [USING 'backup_identifier'] 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | software_keystore_password] 
    [TO 'keystore_location'];
    

    In this specification:

    • USING backup_identifier is an optional string that you can provide to identify the backup. Enclose this identifier in single quotation marks (' '). This identifier is appended to the named keystore file (for example, ewallet_time-stamp_emp_key_backup.p12).

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • IDENTIFIED BY is required for the BACKUP KEYSTORE operation on a password-protected keystore because although the backup is simply a copy of the existing keystore, the status of the TDE master encryption key in the password-protected keystore must be set to BACKED UP and for this change the keystore password is required.

    • keystore_location is the path at which the backup keystore is stored. This setting is restricted to the PDB when the PDB lockdown profile EXTERNAL_FILE_ACCESS setting is blocked in the PDB or when the PATH_PREFIX variable was set when the PDB was created. If you do not specify the keystore_location, then the backup is created in the same directory as the original keystore. Enclose this location in single quotation marks (' ').

    The following example backs up a software keystore in the same location as the source keystore.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT BACKUP KEYSTORE 
    USING 'hr.emp_keystore' 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY 
    'software_keystore_password';
    
    keystore altered.
    

    In the following version, the password for the keystore is stored externally, so the EXTERNAL STORE clause is used.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT BACKUP KEYSTORE 
    USING 'hr.emp_keystore' 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE;

    After you run this statement, an ewallet_identifier.p12 file (for example, ewallet_time-stamp_hr.emp_keystore.p12) appears in the keystore backup location.

Merging Software Keystores in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can merge software keystores.

Merging One Software Keystore into an Existing Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the MERGE KEYSTORE clause to merge one software keystore into another existing software keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Merge the software keystores by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT MERGE KEYSTORE 'keystore1_location' 
    [IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore1_password] 
    INTO EXISTING KEYSTORE 'keystore2_location' 
    IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore2_password 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier]];
    

    In this specification:

    • keystore1_location is the directory location of the first keystore, which will be left unchanged after the merge. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' ').

    • The IDENTIFIED BY clause is required for the first keystore if it is a password-protected keystore. software_keystore1_password is the password for the first keystore.

    • keystore2_location is the directory location of the second keystore into which the first keystore is to be merged. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' ').

    • software_keystore2_password is the password for the second keystore.

The target keystore (keystore2) remains a password-protected keystore after the keystore merge operation.

Merging Two Software Keystores into a Third New Keystore in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can merge two software keystores into a third new keystore, so that the two existing keystores are not changed and the new keystore contains the keys of both source keystores.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Merge the keystores by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT MERGE KEYSTORE 'keystore1_location' 
    [IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore1_password] AND KEYSTORE 'keystore2_location' 
    [IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore2_password] 
    INTO NEW KEYSTORE 'keystore3_location' 
    IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore3_password;
    

    In this specification:

    • keystore1_location is the directory location of the first keystore, which will be left unchanged after the merge. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' ').

    • The IDENTIFIED BY clause is required for the first keystore if it is a password-protected keystore. software_keystore1_password is the current password for the first keystore.

    • keystore2_location is the directory location of the second keystore. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' ').

    • The IDENTIFIED BY clause is required for the second keystore if it is a password-protected keystore. software_keystore2_password is the current password for the second keystore.

    • keystore3_location specifies the directory location of the new, merged keystore. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' '). If there is already an existing keystore at this location, the command exits with an error.

    • software_keystore3_password is the new password for the merged keystore.

    The following example merges an auto-login software keystore with a password-protected keystore to create a merged password-protected keystore at a new location:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT MERGE KEYSTORE '/etc/ORACLE/KEYSTORE/DB1' 
    AND KEYSTORE '/etc/ORACLE/KEYSTORE/DB2' 
    IDENTIFIED BY existing_password_for_keystore_2 
    INTO NEW KEYSTORE '/etc/ORACLE/KEYSTORE/DB3' 
    IDENTIFIED BY new_password_for_keystore_3;
    
    keystore altered.

Closing Keystores in Isolated Mode

You can close both software and hardware keystores in isolated mode, unless the system tablespace is encrypted.

Closing a Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

You can close password-protected keystores, auto-login keystores, and local auto-login software keystores in isolated mode.

In the case of an auto-login keystore, which opens automatically when it is accessed, you must first move it to a new location where it cannot be automatically opened, then you must manually close it. You must do this if you are changing your configuration from an auto-login keystore to a password-protected keystore: you change the configuration to stop using the auto-login keystore (by moving the auto-login keystore to another location where it cannot be automatically opened), and then closing the auto-login keystore.
  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Close the software keystore by using the following syntax.
    Note that the only difference between the following two ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE statements is that a password must be provided for a password-protected keystore.
    • For a password-protected software keystore:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE 
      IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | software_keystore_password];

      Closing a password-protected keystore disables all encryption and decryption operations. Any attempt to encrypt or decrypt data or access encrypted data results in an error.

    • For an auto-login or local auto-login software keystore:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE;

      The result of this statement will not necessarily be that the keystore status will change to CLOSED, because unless you also moved the cwallet.sso file to a location that Oracle Database cannot find, then a background job or background process could automatically re-open the auto-login keystore. This can cause the status to potentially always appear to be OPEN even after the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE statement completed successfully.

Closing a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

To close a hardware keystore, you must use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET KEYSTORE CLOSE clause.

For an Oracle Key Vault keystore, you can only provide the password. No user name is allowed in the IDENTIFIED BY clause. Enclose the password in double quotation marks.
  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Close the hardware keystore by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | "hardware_keystore_credentials"];

    For example, for an HSM:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE CLOSE 
    IDENTIFIED BY "psmith:password";
Closing a keystore disables all encryption and decryption operations. Any attempt to encrypt or decrypt data or access encrypted data results in an error.

Creating a User-Defined TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

To create a user-defined TDE master encryption key, use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET | CREATE [ENCRYPTION] KEY clause.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Create the user-defined TDE master encryption key by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET | CREATE [ENCRYPTION] KEY
    'mkid:mk | mk' 
    [USING ALGORITHM 'algorithm'] 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];

    In this specification:

    • SET | CREATE : Enter SET if you want to create the master and activate the TDE master encryption key now, or enter CREATE if you want to create the key for later use, without activating it yet.

    • mkid and mk:

      • mkid, the TDE master encryption key ID, is a 16–byte hex-encoded value that you can specify or have Oracle Database generate.

      • mk, the TDE master encryption key, is a hex-encoded value that you can specify or have Oracle Database generate, either 32 bytes (for the for AES256, ARIA256, and GOST256 algorithms) or 16 bytes (for the SEED128 algorithm).

      If you omit the mkid:mk|mkid clause but include the mk value, then Oracle Database generates the mkid for the mk.

      If you omit the entire mkid:mk|mkid clause, then Oracle Database generates these values for you.

    • USING ALGORITHM: Specify one of the following supported algorithms:

      • AES256

      • ARIA256

      • SEED128

      • GOST256

      If you omit the algorithm, then the default, AES256, is used.

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    The following example includes a user-created TDE master encryption key but no TDE master encryption key ID, so that the TDE master encryption key ID is generated:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY 
    '3D432109DF88967A541967062A6F4E460E892318E307F017BA048707B402493C' 
    USING ALGORITHM 'GOST256'
    FORCE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

    The next example creates user-defined keys for both the master encryption ID and the TDE master encryption key. It omits the algorithm specification, so the default algorithm AES256 is used.

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE ENCRYPTION KEY 
    '10203040506070801112131415161718:3D432109DF88967A541967062A6F4E460E892318E307F017BA048707B402493C' 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

Creating a TDE Master Encryption Key for Later Use in Isolated Mode

A keystore must be open before you can create a TDE master encryption key for use later on in isolated mode.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Create the TDE master encryption key by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEY 
    [USING TAG 'tag'] 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • IDENTIFIED BY is required for the BACKUP KEYSTORE operation on a password-protected keystore because although the backup is simply a copy of the existing keystore, the status of the TDE master encryption key in the password-protected keystore must be set to BACKED UP and for this change the keystore password is required.

    • keystore_location is the path at which the backup keystore is stored. This setting is restricted to the PDB when the PDB lockdown profile EXTERNAL_FILE_ACCESS setting is blocked in the PDB or when the PATH_PREFIX variable was not set when the PDB was created. If you do not specify the keystore_location, then the backup is created in the same directory as the original keystore. Enclose this location in single quotation marks (' ').

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEY 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password
    WITH BACKUP;
  3. If necessary, activate the TDE master encryption key.
    1. Find the key ID.
      SELECT KEY_ID FROM V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS; 
      
      KEY_ID
      ----------------------------------------------------
      AWsHwVYC2U+Nv3RVphn/yAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    2. Use this key ID to activate the key.
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT USE KEY 
      'AWsHwVYC2U+Nv3RVphn/yAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA' 
      USING TAG 'quarter:second;description:Activate Key on standby' 
      IDENTIFIED BY password 
      WITH BACKUP;

Activating a TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

To activate a TDE master encryption key in isolated mode, you must open the keystore and use ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT with the USE KEY clause.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

  2. Query the KEY_ID column of the V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS view to find the key identifier.

    For example:

    SELECT KEY_ID FROM V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS; 
    
    KEY_ID
    ----------------------------------------------------
    ARaHD762tUkkvyLgPzAi6hMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    
  3. Use this key identifier to activate the TDE master encryption key by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT USE KEY 'key_identifier_from_V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS' 
    [USING TAG 'tag'] 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT USE KEY 'ARaHD762tUkkvyLgPzAi6hMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'
    FORCE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password
    WITH BACKUP;

Rekeying the TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

You can use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the SET KEY clause to rekey a TDE master encryption key.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. If you are rekeying the TDE master encryption key for a keystore that has auto login enabled, then ensure that both the auto login keystore, identified by the .sso file, and the encryption keystore, identified by the .p12 file, are present.

    You can find the location of these files by querying the WRL_PARAMETER column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view. To find the WRL_PARAMETER values for all of the database instances, query the GV$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view.

  3. Rekey the TDE master encryption key by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET [ENCRYPTION] KEY 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    [USING TAG 'tag_name'] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • tag is the associated attributes and information that you define. Enclose this setting in single quotation marks (' ').

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • IDENTIFIED BY can be one of the following settings:

      • EXTERNAL STORE uses the keystore password stored in the external store to perform the keystore operation.

      • keystore_password is the password that was created for this keystore.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    FORCE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';
    
    keystore altered.
    

Moving a TDE Master Encryption Key into a New Keystore in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can move an existing TDE master encryption key into a new keystore from an existing software password keystore.

This feature enables you to move a subset, or all, of a keystore’s keys into a new keystore. After you move the key or keys to the new keystore and then back up the old keystore, optionally you then can delete this old keystore.
  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Query the CREATION_TIME and KEY_ID columns of the V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS view to find the key identifier of the key that you want to move.
    For example:
    SELECT CREATION_TIME, KEY_ID FROM V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS; 
    
    CREATION TIME
    ----------------------------------------------------
    22-SEP-17 08.55.12.956170 PM +00:00
    
    KEY_ID
    ----------------------------------------------------
    ARaHD762tUkkvyLgPzAi6hMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
  3. Move the key into a new keystore by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT 
    MOVE [ENCRYPTION] KEYS
    TO NEW KEYSTORE 'keystore_location1'
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore1_password
    FROM [FORCE] KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password
    [WITH IDENTIFIER IN
    { 'key_identifier' [, 'key_identifier' ]... | ( subquery ) }]
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier'] ];

    In this specification:

    • keystore_location1 is the path to the wallet directory that will store the new keystore .p12 file. By default, this directory is $ORACLE_BASE/admin/db_unique_name/wallet.

    • FORCE temporarily opens the keystore for this operation.

    • keystore_password is the password for the keystore from which the key is moving.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT MOVE KEYS 
    TO NEW KEYSTORE '$ORACLE_BASE/admin/orcl/wallet' 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    FROM FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH IDENTIFIER IN 
    (SELECT KEY_ID FROM V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS WHERE ROWNUM < 2)
    WITH BACKUP;
    After the keys are moved to the new keystore, they no longer exist in the old keystore.
  4. To delete the old keystore, go to the wallet directory and do the following:
    1. Back up the .p12 file containing the keystore that you want to delete.
    2. Manually delete the .p12 file containing the keystore.
    To find the location of the keystore, open the keystore, and then query the WRL_PARAMETER column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view.

Creating a Custom Attribute Tag in Isolated Mode

To create a custom attribute tag in isolated mode, you must use the SET TAG clause of the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

  2. If necessary, query the TAG column of the V$ENCRYPTION_KEY dynamic view to find a listing of existing tags for the TDE master encryption keys.

    When you create a new tag for a TDE master encryption key, it overwrites the existing tag for that TDE master encryption key.

  3. Create the custom attribute tag by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET TAG 'tag' 
    FOR 'master_key_identifier' 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE] 
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • tag is the associated attributes or information that you define. Enclose this information in single quotation marks (' ').

    • master_key_identifier identifies the TDE master encryption key for which the tag is set. To find a list of TDE master encryption key identifiers, query the KEY_ID column of the V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS dynamic view.

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • IDENTIFIED BY can be one of the following settings:

      • EXTERNAL STORE uses the keystore password stored in the external store to perform the keystore operation.

      • keystore_password is the password that was created for this keystore.

      • backup_identifier defines the tag values. Enclose this setting in single quotation marks (' ') and separate each value with a colon.

    For example, to create a tag that uses two values, one to capture a specific session ID and the second to capture a specific terminal ID:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY 
    USING TAG 'sessionid=3205062574:terminal=xcvt' 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP;
    
    keystore altered.
    

    Both the session ID (3205062574) and terminal ID (xcvt) can derive their values by using either the SYS_CONTEXT function with the USERENV namespace, or by using the USERENV function.

Exporting and Importing the TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

You can export and import the TDE master encryption key in different ways in isolated mode.

Exporting a TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement to export a TDE master encryption key.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

  2. Export the TDE master encryption keystore by using the following syntax:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT [ENCRYPTION] KEYS 
    WITH SECRET "export_secret" 
    TO 'file_path' 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password]
    [WITH IDENTIFIER IN 'key_id1', 'key_id2', 'key_idn' | (SQL_query)];
    

    In this specification:

    • export_secret is a password that you can specify to encrypt the export the file that contains the exported keys. Enclose this secret in double quotation marks (" "), or you can omit the quotation marks if the secret has no spaces.

    • file_path is the complete path and name of the file to which the keys must be exported. Enclose this path in single quotation marks (' '). You can export to regular file systems only.

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • key_id1, key_id2, key_idn is a string of one or more TDE master encryption key identifiers for the TDE master encryption key being exported. Separate each key identifier with a comma and enclose each of these key identifiers in single quotation marks (' '). To find TDE master encryption key identifiers, query the KEY_ID column of the V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS dynamic view.

    • SQL_query is a query that fetches a list of the TDE master encryption key identifiers. It should return only one column that contains the TDE master encryption key identifiers. This query is executed with current user rights.

Importing a TDE Master Encryption Key in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement with the IMPORT [ENCRYPTION] KEYS WITH SECRET clause can import a TDE master encryption key.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

    Contact your SYSDBA administrator for the correct PDB. To check the current container, run the SHOW CON_NAME command.

  2. Run the following SQL statement:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT IMPORT [ENCRYPTION] KEYS 
    WITH SECRET "import_secret"  
    FROM 'file_name'  
    [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    

    In this specification:

    • import_secret is the same password that was used to encrypt the keys during the export operation. Enclose this secret in double quotation marks (" "), or you can omit the quotation marks if the secret has no spaces.

    • file_name is the complete path and name of the file from which the keys need to be imported. Enclose this setting in single quotation marks (' ').

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

Storing Oracle Database Secrets in Isolated Mode

Secrets are data that support internal Oracle Database features that integrate external clients such as Oracle GoldenGate into the database.

Storing Oracle Database Secrets in a Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ADD SECRET|UPDATE SECRET|DELETE SECRET statements can add secrets, update secrets, and delete secrets in a keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Add, update, or delete a database secret in a software keystore by using the following syntax:
    • To add a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      ADD SECRET 'secret' FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [USING TAG 'tag']
      [TO [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]] 
      | [FORCE KEYSTORE]  
      IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]]];
    • To update a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      UPDATE SECRET 'secret' FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [USING TAG 'tag']
      [TO [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]] 
      | [FORCE KEYSTORE]  
      IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]]]; 
    • To delete a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      DELETE SECRET FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [FROM [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [FORCE KEYSTORE]
      IDENTIFIED BY [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password] 
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]]]; 

    The specification is as follows:

    • secret is the client secret key to be stored, updated, or deleted. To find information about existing secrets and their client identifiers, query the V$CLIENT_SECRETS dynamic view.

    • client_identifier is an alphanumeric string used to identify the secret key.

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

Storing Oracle Database Secrets in a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ADD SECRET|UPDATE SECRET|DELETE SECRET statements can add secrets, update secrets, and delete secrets in a keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Add, update, or delete a database secret in a hardware keystore by using the following syntax:
    • To add a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      ADD SECRET 'secret' FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [USING TAG 'tag']
      [TO [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [FORCE KEYSTORE]
      IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials"]
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]];
    • To update a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      UPDATE SECRET 'secret' FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [USING TAG 'tag']
       [TO [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [FORCE KEYSTORE]
      IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials"
      [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]]; 
    • To delete a secret:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT
      DELETE SECRET FOR CLIENT 'client_identifier' 
      [FROM [[LOCAL] AUTOLOGIN] KEYSTORE keystore_location 
      [FORCE KEYSTORE]
      IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials"; 

    The specification is as follows:

    • secret is the client secret key to be stored, updated, or deleted. To find information about existing secrets and their client identifiers, query the V$CLIENT_SECRETS dynamic view.

    • client_identifier is an alphanumeric string used to identify the secret key.

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation. You must open the keystore for this operation.

    • hardware_keystore_credentials refers to the credentials for either an HSM or an Oracle Key Vault hardware keystore. For an HSM, specify the credentials using this format, enclosed in quotation marks and separating the components with a colon: user_name:password, with user_name being the user who created the HSM and password being this user’s password. For Oracle Key Vault, enter only the password of the user who created the keystore. Enclose this password with quotation marks.

Migrating Keystores in Isolated Mode

You can perform migration and reverse migration operations between software keystores and hardware keystores in isolated mode.

Migrating from a Password-Protected Software Keystore to a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can migrate from a password-protected software keystore to a hardware keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Convert the software keystore to open with the hardware keystore.
    Some Oracle tools, such as Oracle Data Pump and Oracle Recovery Manager, require access to the old software keystore to encrypt or decrypt data that was exported or backed up using the software keystore.
    • To set the software keystore password as that of the hardware keystore, use the following syntax:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD 
      [FORCE KEYSTORE]
      IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore_password 
      SET "harware_keystore_credentials" 
      WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier'];

      In this specification:

      • software_keystore_password is the password that was assigned to this keystore when it was created.

      • hardware_keystore_credentials refers to the credentials for either an HSM or an Oracle Key Vault hardware keystore. For an HSM, specify the credentials using this format, enclosed in quotation marks and separating the components with a colon: user_name:password, with user_name being the user who created the HSM and password being this user’s password. For Oracle Key Vault, enter only the password of the user who created the keystore. Enclose this password with quotation marks.

    • To create an auto-login keystore for a software keystore, use the following syntax:
      ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE [LOCAL] AUTO_LOGIN KEYSTORE 
      FROM KEYSTORE 'keystore_location' 
      IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore_password;
  3. Edit the WALLET_ROOT parameter in the initialization parameter file for the PDB to point to the new location for the keystore.
    For the software keystore to open with the hardware keystore, either the software keystore must have the same password as the hardware keystore, or alternatively, you can create an auto-login keystore for the software keystore.
  4. Migrate the hardware keystore by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials" 
    [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    MIGRATE USING software_keystore_password 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']];
    After you complete the migration, you do not need to restart the database, nor do you need to manually re-open the hardware keystore. The migration process automatically reloads the keystore keys in memory.
Migrating from a Hardware Keystore to a Password-Protected Software Keystore in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can migrate from a hardware keystore to a password-protected software keystore.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Edit the WALLET_ROOT parameter in the init.ora initialization file for the PDB to point to the new location for the keystore.
    For the software keystore to open with the hardware keystore, either the software keystore must have the same password as the hardware keystore, or alternatively, you can create an auto-login keystore for the software keystore.
  3. Configure the keystore for the reverse migration by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY software_keystore_password 
    REVERSE MIGRATE USING "harware_keystore_credentials" 
    [WITH BACKUP [USING 'backup_identifier']]; 
  4. Optionally, change the password of the newly migrated software keystore.
    For example:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ALTER KEYSTORE PASSWORD 
    IDENTIFIED BY
    old_password SET new_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'pwd_change';
After you complete these steps, the migration process automatically reloads the keystore keys in memory. You do not need to restart the database, nor do you need to manually re-open the software keystore. The hardware keystore may still be required after reverse migration because the old keys are likely to have been used for encrypted backups or by tools such as Oracle Data Pump and Oracle Recovery Manager. You should cache the hardware keystore credentials in the keystore so that the HSM can be opened with the software keystore.

Automatically Removing Inactive TDE Master Encryption Keys in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, the REMOVE_INACTIVE_STANDBY_TDE_MASTER_KEY initialization parameter can configure the automatic removal of inactive master encryption keys.

  1. Log in to the server where the isolated mode PDB standby database resides.
  2. Locate the init.ora file for the database.
    By default, init.ora file is located in the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs directory.
  3. Edit the init.ora file to include the REMOVE_INACTIVE_STANDBY_TDE_MASTER_KEY initialization parameter.
    For example:
    remove_inactive_standby_tde_master_key = true

    Setting this parameter to TRUE enables the automatic removal of inactive master encryption keys; setting it to FALSE disables the automatic removal.

Uniting a Pluggable Database Keystore

Uniting a PDB keystore moves the TDE master encryption keys from the PDB keystore into the keystore of the CDB root. This enables the administrator of the keystore of the CDB root to manage the keys.

The client secrets are not moved. Instead, they are left behind in the keystore that the PDB used while it was configured in isolated mode. Oracle recommends that you delete client secrets from that keystore before you unite the PDB keystore. Similarly, when a PDB becomes isolated, no client secret contained in the keystore of the CDB root is moved.
  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Unite the PDB keystore, which moves the TDE master encryption keys from the PDB keystore into the keystore of the CDB root, by using the following syntax:
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT UNITE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY isolated_keystore_password
    WITH ROOT KEYSTORE [FORCE KEYSTORE]
    IDENTIFIED BY 
    [EXTERNAL STORE | keystore_password_of_cdb_root]
    [WITH BACKUP [USING backup_id]];

    In this specification:

    • FORCE KEYSTORE temporarily opens the password-protected keystore for this operation if an auto-login keystore is open (and in use) or if the keystore is closed.

    • united_keystore_password: Knowledge of this password does not enable the user who performs the UNITE KEYSTORE operation privileges to perform ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT UNITE KEYSTORE operations on the PDB.

    When the keystore of a PDB is united with a keystore in the CDB root, all of the previously active (historical) TDE master encryption keys that were associated with the PDB are moved to the keystore of the CDB root.
  3. Confirm that the isolated mode PDB is now a united mode PDB.
    SELECT KEYSTORE_MODE FROM V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET;

    The output should be UNITED.

The keystore no longer exists but its master encryption key is now in the keystore in the CDB root. If you later decide that you want the united mode PDB to be an isolated mode PDB again, then you can use the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ISOLATE KEYSTORE statement.

Creating a Keystore When the PDB Is Closed

When you create a keystore in a PDB that is closed, the new keystore is empty and the PDB is converted to isolated mode.

About Creating a Keystore When the PDB Is Closed

Creating a keystore in a PDB that is closed could inadvertently cause problems in rekey operations, but the keystore creation can be reverted.

In previous releases, if you tried to create a keystore in a closed PDB, you were prevented and an ORA-65040: operation not allowed from within a pluggable database error would appear. Starting in Oracle Database release 18c, for convenience, when the keystore of the PDB is closed and if you run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE statement in the PDB, Oracle Database allows the operation.

If the closed PDB has not been configured to use encryption (that is, it has never had an ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY statement performed in it), after you execute ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE, resulting in an empty keystore and the configuration of the PDB being changed to isolated mode, then you can create a TDE master encryption key in this empty keystore.

If, however, the PDB was already configured to use encryption, then the PDB may be configured in united mode (and thus have its TDE master encryption key being managed in the keystore of the CDB root).

Mistakenly running an ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE statement on such a closed PDB will create an additional keystore (which will be empty), and will then configure the PDB to be in isolated mode. This effectively misconfigures the PDB, because the PDB is now in isolated mode (whereas it should be in united mode), yet its TDE master encryption key is still in the keystore of the CDB root. This misconfiguration can cause problems later on, if you try to rekey the TDE master encryption key by using the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY statement . An ORA-28362: master key not found error will appear, because when encryption has already been enabled and a key has been set, Oracle Database treats the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET ENCRYPTION KEY statement as a rekey operation. In order to perform a rekey operation, Oracle Database must locate the currently active TDE master encryption key of the PDB. But in this misconfigured PDB, Oracle Database cannot locate the TDE master encryption key, because the PDB is now in isolated mode and the necessary key is in the keystore of the CDB root. Hence, the PDB is no longer configured to search in the keystore of the PDB, and the rekey operation fails.

To remedy the misconfiguration of the PDB, you must reconfigure the PDB to united mode and you must remove the empty keystore. (Always make a backup before removing any keystore.) When the PDB is configured back to united mode, then the currently active TDE master encryption key is once again available for rekey and other TDE master encryption key operations.

If later on you want to configure the PDB to be in isolated mode, then you can open the PDB and run the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT ISOLATE KEYSTORE statement, which isolates the PDB and moves its TDE master encryption key and previously-active (historical) keys from the keystore of the CDB root to a newly-created keystore for the isolated PDB.

Reverting a Keystore Creation Operation When a PDB Is Closed

If you have inadvertently created a keystore in a PDB (and thereby caused it to become configured in isolated mode), then you should reverse the keystore creation operation.

Use this procedure if you created a keystore in a closed PDB that already had encryption enabled (that is, it already had a TDE master encryption key).
  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who has been granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Confirm the mode of the PDB by querying the KEYSTORE_MODE column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET dynamic view.
  3. If the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET output is ISOLATED, then execute the ALTER SYSTEM statement to reconfigure the PDB to united mode.
    • When pfile is in use, clear the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter by using the following statement:
      ALTER SYSTEM RESET TDE_CONFIGURATION SCOPE=MEMORY;

      In an Oracle Real Application Clusters environment, include the SID parameter:

      ALTER SYSTEM RESET TDE_CONFIGURATION SCOPE=MEMORY SID='*';
    • When spfile is in use, clear the TDE_CONFIGURATION parameter by using this statement:
      ALTER SYSTEM RESET TDE_CONFIGURATION SCOPE=BOTH;

      In an Oracle Real Application Clusters environment, include the SID parameter:

      ALTER SYSTEM RESET TDE_CONFIGURATION SCOPE=BOTH SID='*';
  4. In the WALLET_ROOT/PDB_GUID/tde directory, find and back up the ewallet.p12 keystore file that was mistakenly created.
  5. Delete the mistakenly-created empty keystore file.
At this stage, the PDB will be in united mode and the correct keystore and TDE master encryption key will be available for any future rekey operations.

Administering Transparent Data Encryption in Isolated Mode

You can perform a number of general administrative tasks with Transparent Data Encryption in isolated mode.

Moving PDBs from One CDB to Another in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can automatically move a PDB from one CDB to another (for example, for load balancing or adding new functionality).

If the PDB has TDE-encrypted tables or tablespaces, then you can set the ONE_STEP_PLUGIN_FOR_PDB_WITH_TDE dynamic system parameter to TRUE to enable the PDB to include the TDE keys in the PDB move operation. This parameter avoids you having to manually provide a keystore password when you import the TDE keys into the PDB after it has moved to a different CDB. When ONE_STEP_PLUGIN_FOR_PDB_WITH_TDE is set to TRUE, the database caches the keystore password in memory, obfuscated at the system level, and then uses it for the import operation. The default for ONE_STEP_PLUGIN_FOR_PDB_WITH_TDE is FALSE.
  1. Before you begin the PDB move operation, log in to the CDB root as a user who has been granted the SYSDBA administrative privilege.
    For example:
    sqlplus c##sec_admin as sysdba
    Enter password: password
  2. Set the ONE_STEP_PLUGIN_FOR_PDB_WITH_TDE dynamic initialization parameter TRUE.
    For example:
    ALTER SYSTEM SET ONE_STEP_PLUGIN_FOR_PDB_WITH_TDE = TRUE;
  3. Move (relocate) the PDB.

Unplugging and Plugging a PDB with Encrypted Data in a CDB in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, for a PDB that has encrypted data, you can plug it into a CDB. Conversely, you can unplug this PDB from the CDB.

Unplugging a PDB That Has Encrypted Data in Isolated Mode

You can unplug a PDB (that has encrypted data) from one CDB and then optionally plug it into another CDB.

Unlike united mode, you do not need to specify the ENCRYPT clause in the ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement. The database that is unplugged contains data files and other associated files. Because each PDB can have its own unique keystore, you do not need to export the TDE master encryption key of the PDB that you want to unplug. You can check if a PDB has already been unplugged by querying the STATUS column of the DBA_PDBS data dictionary view.
  • Unplug the isolated mode PDB as you normally unplug PDBs.
    For example:
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb1
      UNPLUG INTO '/oracle/data/pdb1.xml';
Plugging a PDB That Has Encrypted Data into a CDB in Isolated Mode

After you plug a PDB that has encrypted data into a CDB, you can set the encryption key in the PDB.

Unlike united mode, you do not need to specify the DECRYPT clause in the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement. When you plug an unplugged PDB into another CDB, the key version is set to 0 because this operation invalidates the history of the previous keys. You can check the key version by querying the KEY_VERSION column of the V$ENCRYPTED_TABLESPACES dynamic view. Similarly, if a control file is lost and recreated, then the previous history of the keys is reset to 0. You can check if a PDB has already been plugged in by querying the STATUS column of the DBA_PDBS data dictionary view.
  1. Create the PDB by plugging the unplugged PDB into the CDB.

    • For example, if you had exported the PDB data into a metadata XML file:

      CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE CDB1_PDB2 
      USING '/tmp/cdb1_pdb2.xml' 
      NOCOPY KEYSTORE 
      IDENTIFIED BY password;
    • If you had exported the PDB into an archive file:

      CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE CDB1_PDB2 
      USING '/tmp/cdb1_pdb2.pdb';

    During the open operation of the PDB after the plug operation, Oracle Database determines if the PDB has encrypted data. If so, it opens the PDB in the RESTRICTED mode.

    You can find if the source database has encrypted data or a TDE master encryption key set in the keystore by querying the V$ENCRYPTION_KEYS dynamic view.

  2. Open the PDB.

    For example:

    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE CDB1_PDB2 OPEN;
  3. Open the keystore in the CDB root.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY password;

    Optionally, open the keystore in the PDB.

  4. In the PDB, open the keystore and set the TDE master encryption key for the PDB.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';
Unplugging a PDB That Has Master Encryption Keys Stored in a Hardware Keystore in Isolated Mode

You can unplug a PDB from one CDB that has been configured with a hardware keystore and then plug it into another CDB also configured with a hardware keystore.

  1. Unplug the PDB.
    You can check if a PDB has already been unplugged by querying the STATUS column of the DBA_PDBS data dictionary view.
  2. Move the master encryption keys of the unplugged PDB from the hardware that was used at the source CDB to the hardware that is in use at the destination CDB.

    Refer to the documentation for the hardware keystore for information about moving master keys between hardware keystores.

Plugging a PDB That Has Master Keys Stored in an HSM in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement can import a hardware keystore master encryption key to a PDB that has been moved to another CDB.

  1. Plug the unplugged isolated mode PDB into the destination CDB that has been configured with the hardware keystore.
    You can check if a PDB has already been plugged in by querying the STATUS column of the DBA_PDBS data dictionary view.
    After the plug-in operation, the PDB that has been plugged in will be in restricted mode.
  2. Ensure that the master keys from the HSM that has been configured with the source CDB are available in the hardware keystore of the destination CDB.
  3. Log in to the plugged PDB as a user who was granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  4. Open the keystore of the plugged PDB.

    For example, for a PDB called PDB1:

    ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER = PDB1;
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN 
    IDENTIFIED BY "harware_keystore_credentials";
  5. Import the hardware keystore master encryption key into the PDB.
    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT IMPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS 
    WITH SECRET "hardware_keystore" FROM 'hardware_keystore' 
    IDENTIFIED BY "hardware_keystore_credentials"; 
  6. Close and re-open the PDB.
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE PDB1 CLOSE;
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE PDB1 OPEN;

Cloning a PDB with Encrypted Data in a CDB in Isolated Mode

The CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause can clone a PDB that has encrypted data.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who was granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Ensure that the software keystore of the PDB that you plan to clone is open.

    You can query the STATUS column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view to find if the software keystore is open.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN FORCE KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;
  3. Clone the PDB.

    For example:

    CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE cdb1_pdb3 FROM cdb1_pdb1 
    FILE_NAME_CONVERT=('cdb1_pdb1', 'pdb3/cdb1_pdb3') KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

    Replace keystore_password with the password of the keystore of the CDB where the cdb1_pdb3 clone is created.

    After you create the cloned PDB, encrypted data is still accessible by the clone using the master encryption key of the original PDB. After a PDB is cloned, there may be user data in the encrypted tablespaces. This encrypted data is still accessible because the master encryption key of the source PDB is copied over to the destination PDB. Because the clone is a copy of the source PDB but will eventually follow its own course and have its own data and security policies, you should rekey the master encryption key of the cloned PDB.
  4. Rekey the master encryption key of the cloned PDB.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';
    Before you rekey the master encryption key of the cloned PDB, the clone can still use master encryption keys that belong to the original PDB. However, these master encryption keys do not appear in the cloned PDB V$ dynamic views. Rekeying the master encryption key ensures that the cloned PDB uses its own unique keys, which will be viewable in the V$ views.

Performing a Remote Clone of PDB with Encrypted Data Between Two CDBs in Isolated Mode

The CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause can remotely clone a PDB that has encrypted data.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who was granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Query the STATUS column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view to ensure that the software keystore of the PDB that you plan to clone is open.
  3. Create a database link for the PDB that you want to clone remotely.
    Use the CREATE DATABASE LINK SQL statement to create the database link. You must create the database link by following the database link prerequisites that are required for cloning a remote PDB or a non-CDB.
  4. Use the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause to perform the clone of the PDB.

    For example:

    CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE cdb1_pdb3 
    FROM cdb1_pdb1 
    FILE_NAME_CONVERT=('cdb1_pdb1', 'pdb3/cdb1_pdb3') KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

    Replace keystore_password with the password of the keystore of the CDB where the cdb1_pdb3 clone is created.

    After you create the cloned PDB, encrypted data is still accessible by the clone using the master encryption key of the original PDB. After a PDB is cloned, there may be user data in the encrypted tablespaces. This encrypted data is still accessible because the master encryption key of the source PDB is copied over to the destination PDB. Because the clone is a copy of the source PDB but will eventually follow its own course and have its own data and security policies, you should rekey the master encrytion key of the cloned PDB.
  5. Rekey the master encryption key of the remotely cloned PDB.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    FORCE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';

    In this example, FORCE KEYSTORE is included because the keystore must be open during the rekey operation.

    Before you rekey the master encryption key of the cloned PDB, the clone can still use master encryption keys that belong to the original PDB. However, these master encryption keys do not appear in the cloned PDB V$ dynamic views. Rekeying the master encryption key ensures that the cloned PDB uses its own unique keys, which will be viewable in the V$ views.

Relocating Across CDBs a Cloned PDB with Encrypted Data in Isolated Mode

The CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause can relocate across CDBs a cloned PDB that has encrypted data.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who was granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.
  2. Query the STATUS column of the V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET view to ensure that the the software keystore of the PDB that you plan to clone is open.
  3. Create a database link for the PDB that you want to clone remotely.
    Use the CREATE DATABASE LINK SQL statement to create the database link. You must create the database link by following the database link prerequisites that are required for cloning a remote PDB or a non-CDB.
  4. Use the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause to clone the PDB.

    For example:

    CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE cdb1_pdb3 
    FROM cdb1_pdb1 
    FILE_NAME_CONVERT=('cdb1_pdb1', 'pdb3/cdb1_pdb3') KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password;

    Replace keystore_password with the password of the keystore of the CDB where the cdb1_pdb3 clone is created.

    After you create the cloned PDB, encrypted data is still accessible by the clone using the master encryption key of the original PDB. After a PDB is cloned, there may be user data in the encrypted tablespaces. This encrypted data is still accessible because the master encryption key of the source PDB is copied over to the destination PDB. Because the clone is a copy of the source PDB but will eventually follow its own course and have its own data and security policies, you should rekey the master encrytion key of the cloned PDB.
  5. Use the ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement to perform the relocation operation.
    For example:
    ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE cdb1_pdb3
    OPEN RELOCATE TO 'need instance name example';
  6. Rekey the master encryption key of the remotely cloned PDB.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY 
    FORCE KEYSTORE
    IDENTIFIED BY keystore_password 
    WITH BACKUP USING 'emp_key_backup';

    In this example, FORCE KEYSTORE is included because the keystore must be open during the rekey operation.

    Before you rekey the master encryption key of the cloned PDB, the clone can still use master encryption keys that belong to the original PDB. However, these master encryption keys do not appear in the cloned PDB V$ dynamic views. Rekeying the master encryption key ensures that the cloned PDB uses its own unique keys, which will be viewable in the V$ views.

How Keystore Open and Close Operations Work in Isolated Mode

You should be aware of how keystore open and close operations work in isolated mode.

For each PDB in isolated mode, you must explicitly open the password-protected software keystore or hardware keystore in the PDB to enable the Transparent Data Encryption operations to proceed. (Auto-login and local auto-login software keystores open automatically.) Closing a keystore on a PDB blocks all of the Transparent Data Encryption operations on that PDB.

The open and close keystore operations in a PDB depend on the open and close status of the keystore in the PDB.

Note the following:

  • You can create a separate keystore password for each PDB in the multitenant environment.

  • Before you can manually open a software password-protected or hardware keystore in an individual PDB, you must open the keystore in the CDB root.

  • If an auto-login keystore is in use, or if the keystore is closed, then include the FORCE KEYSTORE clause in the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement when you open or close the keystore.

  • If the keystore is a password-protected software keystore that uses an external store for passwords, then set the IDENTIFIED BY clause to EXTERNAL STORE.

  • Before you can set a TDE master encryption key in an individual PDB, you must set the key in the CDB root.

  • Auto-login and local auto-login software keystores open automatically. You do not need to manually open these from the root first, or from the PDB.

  • If there is any PDB configured in isolated mode that has its keystore open, then an attempt to close the keystore in the CDB root would fail with an ORA-46692 cannot close wallet error. Use the FORCE CLOSE clause in the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement to override this behavior.

  • If you perform an ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN statement in the CDB root and set the CONTAINER clause to ALL, then the keystore will only be opened in each PDB that is configured in united mode, and the keystore of any PDB that is configured in isolated mode is not opened.

Exporting and Importing Master Encryption Keys for a PDB in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, the EXPORT and IMPORT clauses of ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT can export or import master encryption keys for a PDB.

About Exporting and Importing Master Encryption Keys for a PDB in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, you can export and import master encryption keys from the CDB root in the same way that you export and import this key for a non-CDB database.

You can export and import all of the master encryption keys that belong to the PDB by exporting and importing the master encryption keys from within a PDB. Export and import operations of master encryption keys in a PDB supports the PDB unplug and plug operations. During a PDB unplug and plug operations, all the master encryption keys that belong to a PDB, as well as the metadata, are involved. Therefore, the WITH IDENTIFIER clause of the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT statement is not allowed when you export keys from within a PDB. The WITH IDENTIFIER clause is only permitted in the CDB root.

You should include the FORCE KEYSTORE clause if the CDB root has an auto-login keystore or if the keystore is closed. If the keystore has been configured to use an external store for the password, then use the IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE clause. For example, to perform an export operation for this scenario:

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT KEYS 
WITH SECRET "my_secret"
TO '/etc/TDE/export.exp'
FORCE KEYSTORE 
IDENTIFIED BY EXTERNAL STORE;

This ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT operation exports not only the keys but creates metadata that is necessary for PDB environments (as well as for cloning operations).

Inside a PDB, the export operation of master encryption keys exports the keys that were created or activated by a PDB with the same GUID as the PDB where the keys are being exported. Essentially, all of the keys that belong to a PDB where the export is being performed will be exported.

The importing of master encryption keys from an export file within a PDB takes place only if the master encryption key was exported from another PDB with the same GUID. To support the plug-in of a PDB into a CDB, the import will also import the master encryption keys from an export file that contains the master encryption keys of a non-CDB exported without the WITH IDENTIFIER clause. Because the PDB-specific details, such as the PDB name and database ID, can change from one CDB to the next, the PDB-specific information is modified during the import to reflect the updated PDB information.

Note:

Within a PDB, you can only export the keys of a PDB as a whole. The ability to export them selectively based on a query or an identifier is restricted to the root.

Exporting or Importing a Master Encryption Key for a PDB in Isolated Mode

In isolated mode, the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement can export or import a master encryption key for a PDB.

  1. Log in to the isolated mode PDB as a user who was granted the ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT or SYSKM privilege.

  2. Perform the export or import operation.

    For example:

    ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS 
    WITH SECRET "hr_secret" TO '/tmp/export.p12' 
    FORCE KEYSTORE 
    IDENTIFIED BY password;

    Ensure that you include the FORCE KEYSTORE clause because the keystore must be open for this operation.

Example: Exporting a Master Encryption Key from a PDB in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS statement can export master encryption keys for a PDB.

Example 6-1 shows how to export a master encryption key from the PDB hrpdb. In this example, the FORCE KEYSTORE clause is included in case the auto-login keystore is in use, or if the keystore is closed.

Example 6-1 Exporting a Master Encryption Key from a PDB

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT EXPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS 
WITH SECRET "my_secret" TO '/tmp/export.p12' 
FORCE KEYSTORE 
IDENTIFIED BY password;
Example: Importing a Master Encryption Key into a PDB in Isolated Mode

The ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT IMPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS statement can import a master encryption key into a PDB.

Example 6-2 shows how to import a master encryption key into the PDB hrpdb.

Example 6-2 Importing a Master Encryption Key into a PDB

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT IMPORT ENCRYPTION KEYS 
WITH SECRET "my_secret" 
FROM '/tmp/export.p12' 
FORCE KEYSTORE 
IDENTIFIED BY password 
WITH BACKUP;