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Overview

PhixFlow uses a Java keystore and associated secret service for data that needs to be secure, this includes:

  • a pepper key used to encrypt local user passwords
  • username and passwords for the PhixFlow database
  • where external authorisation is required, usernames and passwords for: 

data, such as usernames and passwords are encrypted and stored here. You then use an alias or key to retrieve the data from the keystore.

To configure the keystore, you will use the Java keytool -importpass command at the command line.

Keytool Syntax

For reference, here is the full syntax and the values you will need to use. The steps below provide example commands.

Sections on this page

SYNTAX TBC

<keytool> -importpass -alias <keyAlias> -keystore <pathToKeystoreFile> -usernameKey <userkey> and -passwordKey <passkey> -storetype <keytype>
Where:Is

<keytool>

Windows command prompt"%JAVA_HOME%\bin\keytool.exe"
Windows PowerShell &"$env:JAVA_HOME\bin\keytool.exe"
Linux  $JAVA_HOME/bin/keytool 

<keyAlias> 

The alias for a username or password.

The phixflow-secret.xml configuration file refers to the <keyAlias> so that PhixFlow knows which encrypted secret to retrieve from the keystore.

After you enter an alias, the keytool prompts you to enter the corresponding username or password. This is the actual value that the database requires to permit access.

<pathToKeystoreFile>

The full path to the keystore file, for example:

  • Windows - C:\secure\name.jks
  • Linux - /opt/secure/name.jks
<keytype>Either PKCS12 or JCEKS.

The keytool does not differentiate between the secrets it stores so it always prompts for a "password". Sometimes you will need to enter a username and others a password. The following instructions explain which you need to enter.

The installer sets up a keystore during installation and configures the username and password for the database. 

If you have local users you also need to set up a Pepperkey

Wikipedia article on Pepper Encrytption

Adding Data to the Keystore


  1. Use the -importpass command to enter a key.
  2. When prompted, enter keystore's password.
  3. When prompted for a "password" enter the data, usually a user name or password. 

For example,

  • The keystore is called secret.jks... what's our default called ...
  • The keystore password  is secretpass
  • The datasource instance details you want to store are:
    • username sqluser, wth the key db1
    • password x34!2axf with the key db1pass

Windows example:

 Click to expand Windows example
"%JAVA_HOME%\bin\keytool" -importpass -alias db1 -keystore C:\secure\secret.jks -storetype PKCS12
secretpass
sqluser
"%JAVA_HOME%\bin\keytool" -importpass -alias db1pass -keystore C:\secure\secret.jks -storetype PKCS12
secretpass
x34!2axf
 Click here to expand Linux example
$JAVA_HOME/bin/keytool -importpass -alias db1 -keystore /opt/secure/secret.jks -storetype PKCS12
secretpass
sqluser
$JAVA_HOME/bin/keytool -importpass -alias db1pass -keystore /opt/secure/secret.jks -storetype PKCS12
secretpass
x34!2axf

Understanding How PhixFlow Uses A Keystore

This section illustrates how PhixFlow uses a keystore to access its own database.

When PhixFlow is running, it provides the account credentials to its database as follows:

  1. phixflow-datasource.xml stores alias credentials for the database. It requests actual credentials from phixflow-secret.xml.
  2. phixflow-secret.xml asks the keystore for the actual credentials.
    1. The keystore password is configured as an environment variable This file stores the location of the keystore file and optionally its password (2a in the diagram below).
    2. Alternatively, phixflow-secret.xml stores the location of the keystore file and optionally its password (2b in the diagram below)
  3. The keystore file returns the actual account credentials to phixflow-secret
  4. which, in turn, passes the actual credentials to phixflow-datasource.xml.
  5. phixflow-datasource.xml then uses the actual credentials to log into the database, so that PhixFlow can update it.

This is shown in the diagram below.

 How PhixFlow authenticates to its database using a keystore

Details used in the diagram
Keystore file namehidden.jks
Keystore passwordstorepw
Environment variable nameKEY_PASS
Environment variable value
(the keystore password)		storepw
PhixFlow database credentialsUsernamePassword
Actual

phixFlow

P*59word
Alias

phixflow-database-user

phixflow-database-password
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