Asymmetric keys

Chapter 15 DBMS-Specific Features

Asymmetric keys

An asymmetric key is made up of a private key and the corresponding public key. Each key can decrypt data encrypted by the other. Asymmetric encryption and decryption are relatively resource-intensive, but they provide a higher level of security than symmetric encryption. An asymmetric key can be used to encrypt a symmetric key for storage in a database. PowerDesigner models OBJECTS as extended objects with a stereotype of <<AsymmetricKey>>.

Creating an asymmetric key

You can create an asymmetric key in any of the following ways:

Select Model→Asymmetric Key Objects to access the List of Asymmetric Keys, and click the Add a Row tool
Right-click the model or package in the Browser, and select New→Asymmetric Key

Asymmetric key properties

You can modify an object's properties from its property sheet. To open an asymmetric key property sheet, double-click its diagram symbol or its Browser entry in the Asymmetric Key Objects folder.

The following extended attributes are available on the Microsoft tab:

Name	Scripting Name	Description
Authorization	Authorization	Specifies the name of a user as the owner of the asymmetric key.
Assembly	Assembly	Specifies the name of an assembly from which to load the public key.
Assembly file	AssemblyFile	Specifies the path of a file from which to load the key.
Algorithm	Algorithm	Specifies the algorithm used to encrypt the key
Encryption password	EncryptionPassword	Specifies the password with which to encrypt the private key. If this clause is not present, the private key will be encrypted with the database master key.