Managing BDT Configurations

Defining an application on CipherTrust Manager is the foundational step for enabling centralized data protection for its associated clients. This process involves specifying the application's parameters and results in the generation of a registration token. This token is then used by the clients to register with CipherTrust Manager and subsequently retrieve their configurations and policies.

For a comprehensive understanding of the entire Application Data Protection workflow, including how this registration token is typically integrated into deployment pipelines by DevOps teams and how clients receive ongoing configuration updates, please refer to How Application Data Protection Works.

The core client registration process, which occurs after an application has been defined and its token made available to the client, is detailed below:

1. Application Definition and Token Issuance by Administrator

   • An Application Data Protection administrator defines an application on CipherTrust Manager.

   • Upon successful definition, CipherTrust Manager issues a registration token.

   • This registration token is then used by supported clients to initiate their registration with CipherTrust Manager.

2. Client Registration and Credential Provisioning

   • The client uses the provided registration token to register with CipherTrust Manager.

   • After successful registration, the client obtains credentials (typically a client certificate and its corresponding private key) from CipherTrust Manager.

3. Authentication and Configuration Retrieval

   • The client uses these credentials to authenticate itself to CipherTrust Manager, often by creating and presenting a JSON Web Token (JWT).

   • Once validated, the client retrieves its assigned configurations and policies from CipherTrust Manager.

4. Cryptographic Operations

   • Equipped with the necessary configurations and policies, the client can now perform the required cryptographic operations.

5. Key Characteristics of Registration Tokens

   • Every application defined on CipherTrust Manager generates its own unique registration token.

   • All clients belonging to the same application must use that specific application's token for registration.

   • By default, registration tokens do not expire, and a single token can be used to register multiple client instances for the same application.

The process detailed above outlines how clients register and interact with CipherTrust Manager after an application's registration token is available. The foundational step to enable this workflow is to first define your application on CipherTrust Manager, which is covered in the next section, Managing BDT Applications.