6.4 The MySQL Keyring

6.4.1 Keyring Plugin Installation

6.4.2 Using the keyring_file File-Based Plugin

6.4.3 Using the keyring_encrypted_file Keyring Plugin

6.4.4 Using the keyring_okv KMIP Plugin

6.4.5 Using the keyring_aws Amazon Web Services Keyring Plugin

6.4.6 Supported Keyring Key Types and Lengths

6.4.7 Migrating Keys Between Keyring Keystores

6.4.8 General-Purpose Keyring Key-Management Functions

6.4.9 Plugin-Specific Keyring Key-Management Functions

6.4.10 Keyring Command Options

6.4.11 Keyring System Variables

MySQL Server supports a keyring that enables internal server components and plugins to securely store sensitive information for later retrieval. The implementation comprises these elements:

• Keyring plugins that manage a backing store or communicate with a storage back end. These keyring plugins are available:

  • keyring_file stores keyring data in a file local to the server host. This plugin is available in MySQL Community Edition and MySQL Enterprise Edition distributions as of MySQL 5.7.11. See Section 6.4.2, “Using the keyring_file File-Based Plugin”.

  • keyring_encrypted_file stores keyring data in an encrypted file local to the server host. This plugin is available in MySQL Enterprise Edition distributions as of MySQL 5.7.21. See Section 6.4.3, “Using the keyring_encrypted_file Keyring Plugin”.

  • keyring_okv is a KMIP 1.1 plugin for use with KMIP-compatible back end keyring storage products such as Oracle Key Vault and Gemalto SafeNet KeySecure Appliance. This plugin is available in MySQL Enterprise Edition distributions as of MySQL 5.7.12. See Section 6.4.4, “Using the keyring_okv KMIP Plugin”.

  • keyring_aws communicates with the Amazon Web Services Key Management Service for key generation and uses a local file for key storage. This plugin is available in MySQL Enterprise Edition distributions as of MySQL 5.7.19. See Section 6.4.5, “Using the keyring_aws Amazon Web Services Keyring Plugin”.

• A key migration capability. MySQL 5.7.21 and higher supports a server operational mode that enables migration of keys between underlying keyring keystores, permitting DBAs to switch a MySQL installation from one keyring plugin to another. See Section 6.4.7, “Migrating Keys Between Keyring Keystores”.

• A keyring service interface for keyring key management (MySQL 5.7.13 and higher), accessible at two levels:

  • An SQL interface implemented as a set of user-defined functions (UDFs). See Section 6.4.8, “General-Purpose Keyring Key-Management Functions”.

  • A C-language interface implemented as a set of C keyring service functions. See The Keyring Service.

• Key metadata access. In MySQL 8.0.16 and higher, the Performance Schema keyring_keys table exposes metadata for keys in the keyring. Key metadata includes key IDs, key owners, and backend key IDs. The keyring_keys table does not expose any sensitive keyring data such as key contents. See The keyring_keys table.

Warning

The keyring_file and keyring_encrypted_file plugins for encryption key management are not intended as a regulatory compliance solution. Security standards such as PCI, FIPS, and others require use of key management systems to secure, manage, and protect encryption keys in key vaults or hardware security modules (HSMs).

Within MySQL, uses of the keyring include:

• The InnoDB storage engine uses the keyring to store its key for tablespace encryption. InnoDB can use any supported keyring plugin. See InnoDB Data-at-Rest Encryption.

• MySQL Enterprise Audit uses the keyring to store the audit log file encryption password. The audit log plugin can use any supported keyring plugin. See Encrypting Audit Log Files.

For general keyring installation instructions, see Section 6.4.1, “Keyring Plugin Installation”. For information specific to a given keyring plugin, see the section describing that plugin.

For information about using the keyring UDFs, see Section 6.4.8, “General-Purpose Keyring Key-Management Functions”.

Keyring plugins and UDFs access a keyring service that provides the interface for server components to the keyring. For information about accessing the keyring plugin service and writing keyring plugins, see The Keyring Service, and Writing Keyring Plugins.