VMware

Unlocking the Power of vCenter with KMS Server for Non-Native Key Providers

Installing and Configuring a KMS Server for vCenter with PyKMIP on Ubuntu and CentOS

Introduction:

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) technology provides a robust and secure platform for cloud computing. One of the essential components of VCF is the Key Management Service (KMS), which manages and distributes encryption keys to virtual machines. In this blog post, we will explore how to install and configure a KMS server for vCenter using PyKMIP on Ubuntu and CentOS.

PyKMIP is an open-source implementation of the KMIP (Key Management Interoperability Protocol) standard, which allows for the management of encryption keys across different platforms. By using PyKMIP with vCenter, we can create a secure and centralized key management system for our virtual infrastructure.

Ubuntu Installation and Configuration:

To install PyKMIP on Ubuntu, follow these steps:

1. Install OpenSSH server and client:

sudo apt install openssh-server sudo apt install openssh-clients

2. Update the package list and install PyKMIP:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3-dev libffi-dev libssl-dev libsqlite3-dev

3. Fill out the form for the SSL certificate, which will be valid for 10 years (3650 days):

openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 3650 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout /etc/ssl/private/selfsigned.key -out /etc/ssl/certs/selfsigned.crt

4. Chown the user and group ownership of the SSL certificate files:

sudo chown user: -R /etc/ssl/private sudo chown user: -R /etc/ssl/certs/selfsigned.crt

5. Install Git, a version control system, to clone the PyKMIP code from GitHub:

sudo apt install git-all

6. Clone the PyKMIP code from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/OpenKMIP/PyKMIP

7. Change directory to the PyKMIP installation directory:

cd /usr/local/PyKMIP

8. Install PyKMIP using setup.py:

sudo -i python3 /usr/local/PyKMIP/setup.py install (be sure you are in the /usr/local/PyKMIP directory! See cd command above)

9. Export the editor and visual commands to allow PyKMIP to start automatically on startup:

export EDITOR=nano export VISUAL=nano crontab -e Paste the following in on a new line:

This will make sure that it starts automatically on startup. Reboot your VM or type this in to start it as a background process:

sudo -i python3 /usr/local/PyKMIP/bin/run_server.py &

CentOS Installation and Configuration:

To install PyKMIP on CentOS, follow these steps:

1. Install Docker Engine:

sudo yum install docker.io

2. Install pykmip:

sudo yum install python3-setuptools

3. Clone the PyKMIP code from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/OpenKMIP/PyKMIP

4. Change directory to the PyKMIP installation directory:

cd /usr/local/PyKMIP

5. Install PyKMIP using setup.py:

sudo -i python3 /usr/local/PyKMIP/setup.py install (be sure you are in the /usr/local/PyKMIP directory! See cd command above)

6. Export the editor and visual commands to allow PyKMIP to start automatically on startup:

export EDITOR=nano export VISUAL=nano crontab -e Paste the following in on a new line:

This will make sure that it starts automatically on startup. Reboot your VM or type this in to start it as a background process:

sudo -i python3 /usr/local/PyKMIP/bin/run_server.py &

Adding a KMS Server on vCenter:

1. Log in to the vCenter server and click on the “Configure” button in the top-right corner.

2. Click on “Key Management” in the left navigation pane.

3. Click on the “KMS Servers” tab.

4. Click on the “Add KMS Server” button.

5. Enter the IP address or hostname of the PyKMIP server, and select the appropriate port (default is 2222).

6. Click “Save” to add the KMS server to vCenter.

7. Log in to the PyKMIP server using the IP address or hostname and the appropriate port.

8. Create a new user with administrator privileges, and set the password for that user.

9. Log out of the PyKMIP server and return to the vCenter server.

10. Click on the “Certificates” tab in the left navigation pane, and create a new certificate for the KMS server.

11. Select the appropriate options for the certificate, including the common name (CN) and the duration of the certificate (default is 365 days).

12. Click “Save” to create the certificate.

Conclusion:

In this blog post, we have explored how to install and configure a KMS server for vCenter using PyKMIP on Ubuntu and CentOS. By following these steps, you can create a secure and centralized key management system for your virtual infrastructure, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.