End-to-end efficient encryption with security chaining

Abstract

In end-to-end efficient encryption with security chaining a data source Information Handling System (IHS) encrypts a data volume, generates and updates metadata in a trailer of the data volume, and generates and updates out-of-band handshake signals indicating an encryption key use slot in the metadata. Data connection segments each include a left-bound interface of one IHS and a right-bound interface of another. Each interface performs synchronous data volume write-encrypt and read-decrypt functions on the data volume in an IHS, perform in-band encryption metadata processing, process out-of-band control signals, and execute an encryption configuration state machine, which uses the metadata and control signals as input to direct write-encrypt and read-decrypt functions on the data volume in the segment. Security chaining logic in each IHS relays between the left and right-bound interfaces, synchronizes and regenerates the control signals for each segment, and coordinates the state machines for the up-stream and down-stream segments.