Black Box ET0100A EncrypTight Element Management System, Policy Manager, Key Management System

EncrypTight Overview

EncrypTight Element Management System

The EncrypTight Element Management System (ETEMS) is the device management component of the EncrypTight software, allowing you to provision and manage multiple encryption appliances from a central location. It provides capabilities for appliance configuration, software updates, and maintenance and troubleshooting for your EncrypTight encryption appliances.

Policy Manager

The Policy Manager (ETPM) is the policy component of the EncrypTight software. You use ETPM to create and manage policies, and monitor the status of the PEPs and ETKMSs.

Each deployment of EncrypTight uses a single ETPM. The ETPM sends metapolicies to one or more ETKMSs. A metapolicy is a file that describes the policies created in ETPM and for each policy it specifies:

●The PEPs each ETKMS controls

●The networks each PEP protects

●The action that is performed (encrypt, send in the clear, or drop)

●The kind of traffic the policy affects

Key Management System

Distribution functions are provided by the EncrypTight Key Management System (ETKMS). All ETKMSs receive policies from a single ETPM. Based on the metapolicies received from the ETPM, the ETKMS generates keys for each of the PEPs within its network. The ETKMS distributes the keys and policies associated with its networks to the appropriate PEPs.

Depending on the size and configuration of your network, you can use a single ETKMS or multiple ETKMSs distributed throughout the network. When multiple ETKMSs are used, each ETKMS controls different sets of PEPs. All ETKMSs include the policy information and keys for the entire network. When policies are deployed or keys are renewed, each PEP receives its information from its designated

ETKMS.

The EncrypTight system supports two types of ETKMSs: external ETKMSs and local ETKMSs.

●External ETKMSs are dedicated computers running the ETKMS software. By running on a dedicated computer, external ETKMSs inherently provide more security and reliability, and can be used to help protect significantly larger networks. Each ETKMS can support several hundred PEPs.

●Local ETKMSs run as a separate process on the same management workstation as the EncrypTight software. Local ETKMSs are intended for use with small to medium networks with no more than 10 PEPs. A local ETKMS is included with the EncrypTight software.

Figure 3 shows a single ETKMS distributing the keys for PEPs A, B, C, and D.

20 EncrypTight User Guide