Encryption advice

[Ruslan Zasukhin]

On 12/10/06 8:06 PM, "Joakim Schramm" <joakim at astrocalc.com> wrote:

Hi Joakim,

> Ok I would need some advice regarding encryption. As I have to change my
> strategy somewhat I do need to encrypt at least part of my database. I see 3
> sceenarios possible,
> 
> Encrypt structure, 1 table or 1 field in table and my questions is this.
> 
> Structure: How hard inpact on performance?

My estimation is:  
    full encryption of database gives about 2-3% performance.
 
> What "whole" does it leave, I mean what does it not protect, like does is
> leave all data visible if looked at with a Hex Editor?

This is in Valentina Kernel manual  pdf or wiki.

Structure encrypt ONLY .vdb file -- system tables.
Not your data.

> If so, is it easy to
> see links between data?

You can easy link in head using RecID values?
I do not think so.

---------- 
> Table or  Field (from same table):
> 
> Does Field give much better perfomace then encrypting just Structure?

Not related at all.
 
> Big difference between table or just 1 field?
> 
> If I do what I think maybe is best, encrypt just 1 field, is it then
> impossible to see which records in other tables that link to encrypted
> field?

You link with ObjectPtr?

Better try self look into your data by HexEdit to see how it is easy :-)
 
> This table has about 250 000 records, I guess that impact performance when
> run or is it just when open?

Encryption happens when Valentina load a 4K page into cache. Or when write
it back to disk. So size of table not play here.

 
> Another table have just 300 records, is differense small in performace if
> encrypt whole table or just field?
> 
> When open is encrypted data then visible in memory?

Yes, for pages which are in cache

> And last, you can handle this "quite" in code so no need to pop up dialog
> for key to user, just feel key from code so it's invisible to user.

yes
 
> Yes I have read docs but it don't answer these questions. I know many
> questions but I don't need long answers. I ask because I am late for
> christmas :-) and don't have much time testing everything, I have so much
> problems already with dumps and ObjectPtr but it's fixed now and also Path
> now works fine, so this it last thing.

-- 
Best regards,

Ruslan Zasukhin
VP Engineering and New Technology
Paradigma Software, Inc

Valentina - Joining Worlds of Information
http://www.paradigmasoft.com

[I feel the need: the need for speed]