[vhdl-200x] Out of Bounds Discussion - VHDL IP encryption - key management

I would like to remind everyone that this reflector is for the discussion of
IEEE standards ONLY. It is not a forum for the discussion of vendor tools
in any shape or form. I understand that IP encryption is important to the
industry. John Shields gave a very good summary of the activity going on at
IEEE to standardize industry practice. I suggest that people interested in
this activity join the appropriate Working Group.

I do not recognize Scott as a DASC member so perhaps he is not familiar with
the rules that we operate under here so I would ask the chair to keep these
discussions in bounds of the WG activity. Discussion of specific vendor
tools and capabilities will jeopardize our indemnity from restraint of trade
regulations under IEEE auspices.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

 Victor

On 1/12/11 2:24 PM, "Hoy, Scott - IS" <Scott.Hoy@itt.com> wrote:

>
>
> -----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 this 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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