FW: [vhdl-200x] VHDL IP encryption - key management

-----Original Message-----
From: Hoy, Scott - IS
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 1:07 PM
To: 'Jim Lewis'
Subject: RE: [vhdl-200x] VHDL IP encryption - key management

I would like the IP encryption scheme to be identical across all EDA tool vendors that say their tools comply with the associated IP encryption standard. The tool vendors I have discussed this with are Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, and Altera. The Synopsys encryption only work with Synopsys tools and the Mentor Graphics encryption referenced an IEEE encryption standard but I do not believe it was what the VHDL group is proposing. Mentor Graphics would keep the source code encrypted but the output EDIF or VQM file from synthesis would not be encrypted due to Altera and Xilinx are not compliant to the IEEE encryption they were using. When I inquired about key management, they said they do not allow the IP creator to mess with the key but only the cipher. In my opinion, for the IP encryption to take off, there needs to be a standard way for the IP creator to define and control the key. I would think a public/private key approach would be ideal, (I am not an encryption expert). I also would think that for th
is to work, this may incur fees only on the IP creator to register a unique IP creator ID that can be used in the process to generate IP keys tied to a unique IP creator. The IP creator may qualify additional information to the unique IP creator ID that would further watermark IP generated key pairs that are licensed to users. When a user would license IP from an IP creator, the IP creator will release to the user the encrypted IP along with their unique public key that was generated in a process that used the IP creator's registered created ID. The user should be able to create a directory on their internal network that would store their licensed IP keys and set a unique environment variable that will point to this directory that all EDA tools that comply with the encryption standard should be able use in processing the encrypted IP.

As an IP creator I want complete control over the key creation process. If the IEEE can standardize an encryption standard that does this, this would be a HUGE improvement on working with licensed IP. Currently, working with licensed IP can be a major PITA. To a degree, I would think that the encryption key creation/usage would work sort of how the EDA vendors use the FlexLM licensing to govern the licensing and usage of their tools. I kind of envision the unique creator ID to be similar to how Ethernet controller manufacturers (and Ethernet FPGA IP) register unique MAC addresses for their hardware/IP to function on an Ethernet network.

From what I have read so far on the VHDL IP encryption, it covers how the IP creator can control what portions of code can be encrypted along with the type of encryption cipher to use but it is not clear as to how the IP creator can control and manage the encryption key that will be available for the tools to used to process the IP. If there is any documentation out there regarding how an IP creator can create and manage the encryption key, I would like to know.

Scott D. Hoy
E-mail: scott.hoy@itt.com
Phone: 301-497-9900 Ext. 7162
Fax: 301-497-0207

ITT-AES
141 National Business Pkwy. Suite 200
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701
Phone: 301-497-9900 Fax: 301-497-0207

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Lewis [mailto:Jim@SynthWorks.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:26 AM
To: Hoy, Scott - IS
Subject: Re: [vhdl-200x] VHDL IP encryption - key management

Hi Scott,
Oops. This was only meant to go directly to you.
Please reply to me rather than the reflector.
Jim

Hi Scott,
Is this for a specific tool?
I can probably help you find the right person (if they
don't contact you first).

Best,
Jim

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Lewis
Director of Training             mailto:Jim@SynthWorks.com
SynthWorks Design Inc.           http://www.SynthWorks.com
1-503-590-4787
Expert VHDL Training for Hardware Design and Verification
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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