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Ordering KMIP for VMware instances

Ordering KMIP for VMware instances

Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP™) for VMware® support for Key Protect will end on 16 July 2026, after which interoperability with the Key Protect service will no longer work. Migrate to IBM® Key Protect for IBM Cloud®.

This announcement is applicable only to customers who are using the KMIP for VMware support for Key Protect. Customers who are using KMIP for VMware support for Hyper Protect Crypto Services (HPCS) remain unaffected by this announcement. The KMIP for VMware support for HPCS continues to function as usual without any impact.

You can order a KMIP™ for VMware® instance without associating it to any VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Automated instance for flexible management of the service and instances.

Before you begin

Complete the following tasks:

Step 1 - Ordering a KMIP for VMware instance

Settings

When you order a KMIP for VMware instance, configure the following settings:

Resource group

Use resource groups to organize the resources in your account for access control and billing purposes. The default resource group in your account is selected. You can also select another resource group according to your needs. The resource group that you select cannot be changed after the instance is created.

If No resource group available is displayed in this field, you currently do not have permissions to any resource group in this account. Contact the account owner to be assigned an Editor or Administrator role on a resource group in the account. For more information, see IBM Cloud IAM roles.

Instance name

The instance name is set to kmip-xx by default, where xx represents two randomly generated alphabet characters.

You can also specify a name for your KMIP for VMware instance.

Procedure

  1. In the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console, scroll down to the services section and click KMIP for VMware in the Security and compliance category.
  2. On the KMIP for VMware page, configure the service settings as needed.
  3. Click Create.

Results of Step 1

  • The deployment of the instance starts automatically and you receive console notification that your order request is being processed. The instance is displayed in the KMIP for VMware table on the KMIP for VMware > Resources pages from the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console. The status of the instance is Installing.
  • When the instance is successfully deployed, its status is changed to Inactive.

Step 2 - Activating the KMIP for VMware instance

Prerequisites

If you are using Hyper Protect Crypto Services (HPCS), you must first create a service authorization that allows your KMIP for VMware instance to access your HPCS instance. Then, grant your KMIP for VMware instance both the platform Viewer role and the service VMware KMIP Manager role to your HPCS instance. For more information, see Grant service-to-service authorization in IAM.

Settings

When you enable the nonactive KMIP for VMware instance, provide the following settings according to the key management service that you selected.

Configuration settings for HPCS
Setting Description
HPCS instances The list of available HPCS instances that you can select to use for key management
Customer root key The list of customer root keys that are stored in your selected HPCS instance

Procedure

  1. Select the key management type, Hyper Protect Crypto Services.

  2. Select a key management service:

    • For Hyper Protect Crypto Services, click Retrieve to get the list of available HPCS instances and select the one to use for key management.
  3. Select the Key Manager instance from the list.

    For HPCS, the key ring field is not displayed.

  4. Under Customer root key, the names and values of the root keys are displayed. Select the root key that you want.

  5. (Optional) Add client SSL certificates:

    1. Click Add.

    2. In the Add client SSL certificate window, enter the name and contents of the certificate, and then click Add.

      The certificate name cannot be reused within your selected instance. The certificate content must be valid and contain the BEGIN CERTIFICATE and END CERTIFICATE tags.

  6. Click Configure.

Results of Step 2

  • The configuration of the instance starts automatically. The status of the instance is changed to Configuring.
  • When the instance is ready to use, the status of the instance is changed to Installed.

Step 3 - (Optional) Adding client SSL certificates

If you did not add the client SSL certificates in Step 2, you must add it after the instance can be used.

Procedure

  1. In the VMware Solutions console, click Resources > KMIP for VMware from the left navigation panel.

  2. In the KMIP for VMware table, click the instance that you want to add certificates for.

  3. Click Add.

  4. In the Add client SSL certificate window, enter the certificate name and content, and then click Add.

    The certificate name cannot be reused within your selected instance. The certificate content must be valid and contain the BEGIN CERTIFICATE and END CERTIFICATE tags, and the certificate cannot be reused in the selected region where the instance is deployed.

Results of Step 3

  • You get a console notification that your request to add the certificate is being processed.
  • When the certificate is added successfully, you get console confirmation and the added certificate is displayed in the Client SSL certificates table on the service details page.

Connecting vCenter Server to the KMIP instance

Connect your vCenter Server to your KMIP instance by using the client certificate that you uploaded to the KMIP instance.

If your KMIP instance is connected to HPCS, you can find details for the single load-balanced KMIP endpoint in your KMIP for VMware instance. Use this endpoint to configure a single key provider in vCenter.

You can find the endpoints for each region in the following table:

KMIP for VMware network service endpoint locations
Location Endpoints
Dallas kmip-1.private.us-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.us-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Frankfurt kmip-1.private.eu-central.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.eu-central.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
London kmip-1.private.uk-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.uk-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Osaka kmip-1.private.jp-osa.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.jp-osa.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Sao Paulo kmip-1.private.br-sao.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.br-sao.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Sydney kmip-1.private.ap-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.ap-south.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Tokyo kmip-1.private.ap-north.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.ap-north.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Toronto kmip-1.private.ca-tor.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.ca-tor.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Washington DC kmip-1.private.us-east.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.us-east.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
Madrid kmip-1.private.eu-es.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696
kmip-2.private.eu-es.vmware-solutions.cloud.ibm.com:5696