DSM Installation and Configuration Guide
Copyright 2009 - 2020 Thales Group. All rights reserved.
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Chapter 2: DSM V6100 Hardware Appliance
Configuring High Availability for V6100
The DSM V6100 appliance comes with a Hardware Security Module (HSM). The HSM safeguards and manages DSM
objects (example: certificates and keys) with strong authentication and crypto-processing. This chapter describes how
to set up and configure the V6100 hardware appliance.
In a V6100 high availability (HA) environment, all systems must be V6100s, they cannot be combined with any other
appliance type or version of DSM. As of the v6.0.2 release, the DSM supports full disk encryption for enhanced
security, and dynamic IP addressing via DHCP.
Figure 2-1: DSM V6100 hardware appliance
DSM V6100 Overview
The V6100 includes a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 cryptographic HSM. The HSM is managed by a set of smart cards known as
the Administrator Card Set (ACS), which are read using a card reader. The DSM software provides a Remote HSM
Administration feature, to remotely manage the V6100 appliance. With remote HSM administration, the card reader
does not need to be connected directly to the V6100 appliance instead, it is connected to a laptop or PC, outside the
data center, which in turn, is connected to the V6100 appliance over a secure channel.
Remote HSM Administration
Advantages
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Eliminates the need for administrators to be physically present in the lab to administer the DSM
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Eliminates the need for physical mode switch changes for HSM administration
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Enables administrators to present smart cards remotely from a PC or laptop
