Can IBM Pervasive Encryption encrypt already encrypted datasets within Top Secret?

Products

• Top Secret

Issue/Introduction

Can existing encrypted datasets via 3rd party encryption be encrypted again with IBM Pervasive Encryption?

Environment

Release : 16.0

Component : Top Secret for z/OS

Resolution

Before investing a lot of time you might want to consider opening a ticket with IBM and your 3rd party encryption software vendor validate if both encryption software are compatibe with each other running concurrently. Top Secret is just a repository for the key and responds back to security calls. It doesnt actually encrypt the dataset.

IBM Pervasive Encryption marks datasets for encryption when it is created.

This means that for each existing encypted dataset, a new dataset must be created with IBM Pervasive Encryption set for each dataset, then copy the old dataset into the new dataset. This must be done for every dataset that you wish to double encrypt.

If your 3rd party encryption software has any requirements to encrypt the dataset, it must done again for the newly created dataset.

Double encryption will increase operating overhead for the LPAR/CPU/system.