How should SIMP 6 handle PKI?

Background

In various modules that deal with PKI, parameters such as the following have been observed:

• $enable_pki = true 

  • Does this turn PKI on/off, turn PKI management on/off, turn the SIMP-specific PKI system on/off (see: The New Layout for all SIMP Modules)?

• $use_simp_pki = true

  • Okay, this looks like it explicitly means "Use SIMP's PKI system (e.g., FakeCA, keydist/, pki::copy)"

• $cert_source = '/absolute/path/to/dir'

  • simp-apache & simp-rsyslog: Defines what directory look for certs in a 

  • Suggested Alternative Name: $pki_cert_dir = '/same/as/cert_source/w/a/better/name'

• Individual cert files (seen in rsyslog as parameters in config.pp)

  • $pki_cert_file = "${::rsyslog::cert_source}/cacerts/cacerts.pem"

  • $pki_key_file  = "${::rsyslog::cert_source}/public/${::fqdn}.pub"

  • $pki_ca_file   = "${::rsyslog::cert_source}/private/${::fqdn}.pem"

  • $::fqdn will be needed instead of trusted node data because puppet apply must be honored

Questions

• MANAGE: How should we tell a SIMP module to manage PKI  (at all)?
  • The opposite of "manage" is "leave it alone."
  • Examples of management: 
    • where to look for certs, cacerts
    • ensure that SSL is on or off
    • ensure that SSL is validated
  • Examples of something other than management: 
    
    • Distributing certificates on the filesystem  
      • This is EXTRA because it needs additional information and can change
  • current param:       $enable_pki (bool)
  • suggested param: $manage_pki (bool or see below)
    • QUESTION what should the type be?type: boolean
      
      

• ASSETS: What resources does the module need to know about to integrate PKI?

  • PKI assets = key, cert, cacert

    • file-based: x509+RSA files

      • simp-pki module's pki::copy from FakeCA

      • simp-beaker-helpers gem's pki_copy_to function.

      • IMPORTANT: Independent file delivery mechanism

        • The files get there, but in a way SIMP (and possibly Puppet) doesn't manage

        • probably no need to do anything
          

        • QUESTION: Is it reasonable to always expect PKI cert/key/cacert to be present in the same directory structure as pki::copy?

    • file-based: java keystore / truststore
    • moonshots (probably not feasible):

      • PKI stored in LDAP

      • PKI stored in TPM

   

• DISTRO: What PKI asset distribution methods should SIMP support?

  • SIMP has the pki::copy function, which copies the host's cert+key+cacert into a local directory in the following structure:
     

    HOST_PKI_DIR/
  cacerts/cacerts.pem
  public/fdqn.pub
  private/fdqn.pem

    • This is supported per-application, if necessary.

  • Methods:

    • Parameters:

    • $manage_pki:
      • Formerly named enable_pki.
      • Type: We have a choice: 
        • boolean
          • true = manage PKI integration for this module
          • false = do not manage PKI aspects of this module 
        • "Stroolean:
• 
   
• How do we tell a SIMP module to use a given distribution method?
  • Some modules use an extra parameter, $use_simp_pki, to distinguish between
  • 
    

    


  • How do we tell a SIMP module to use a given distribution method?

• 
  
• 
  
• WTF is a Stroolean?
  
  • A parameter that is either the boolean false or a String that determines the source (e.g., 'simp', 
    something else we might manage in the future)
  • Pros:
    • It collapses manage_pki and use_simp_pki into a single parameter
    • It models the idea that if the SIMP module supports PKI integration, it must be expecting a particular distribution method.
  • Cons:
• 
  
• What parameters should we standardize on?
  • $manage_pki:
    • Formerly named enable_pki.
    • Type: We have a choice: 
      • boolean
        • true = manage PKI integration for this module
        • false = do not manage PKI aspects of this module 
      • "Stroolean:
        • The most Trevor
        • It will either be the boolean false or a String that determines the source (e.g., 'simp', 'simp',
          
        • Pros:
          • It collapses manage_pki and use_simp_pki
  • $pki_source (String) or $use_simp_pki (boolean)

Action items

• Decide (record decisions/reasoning):
  
  •  whether or not to rename all "$enable_*" parameters to "$manage_*" 
  • $manage_pki : Boolean or Stroolean?
•