Full disk encryption

Overview

MicroCeph supports automatic full disk encryption (FDE) on OSDs.

Full disk encryption is a security measure that protects the data on a storage device by encrypting all the information on the disk. FDE helps maintain data confidentiality in case the disk is lost or stolen by rendering the data inaccessible without the correct decryption key or password.

In the event of disk loss or theft, unauthorised individuals are unable to access the encrypted data, as the encryption renders the information unreadable without the proper credentials. This helps prevent data breaches and protects sensitive information from being misused.

FDE also eliminates the need for wiping or physically destroying a disk when it is replaced, as the encrypted data remains secure even if the disk is no longer in use. The data on the disk is effectively rendered useless without the decryption key.

Implementation

Full disk encryption for OSDs has to be requested when adding disks. MicroCeph will then generate a random key, store it in the Ceph cluster configuration, and use it to encrypt the given disk via LUKS/cryptsetup.

Prerequisites

To use FDE, the following prerequisites must be met:

  • The installed snapd daemon version must be >= 2.59.1

  • The dm-crypt kernel module must be available. Note that some cloud-optimised kernels do not ship dm-crypt by default. Check by running sudo modinfo dm-crypt

  • The snap dm-crypt plug has to be connected, and microceph.daemon subsequently restarted:

    sudo snap connect microceph:dm-crypt
sudo snap restart microceph.daemon

Limitations

Warning:

  • It is important to note that MicroCeph FDE only encompasses OSDs. Other data, such as state information for monitors, logs, configuration etc., will not be encrypted by this mechanism.

  • Also note that the encryption key will be stored on the Ceph monitors as part of the Ceph key/value store

Usage

FDE for OSDs is activated by passing the optional --encrypt flag when adding disks:

sudo microceph disk add /dev/sdx --wipe --encrypt

Note there is no facility to encrypt an OSD that is already part of the cluster. To enable encryption you will have to take the OSD disk out of the cluster, ensure data is replicated and the cluster converged and is healthy, and then re-introduce the OSD with encryption.