Generate the Keys for Importing and Exporting Data with Partners

Run this once per instance. It writes two key pairs into path:

Usage

episodic_import_export_keygen(path, overwrite = FALSE)

Arguments

path

A directory to write the four files into; created if it does not exist.

overwrite

Whether to replace key files already there. FALSE by default: a replaced key pair cannot open the files partners have already encrypted to the old one, and the partners have pinned the old signing key.

Value

Invisibly, a list with the four file paths (encryption_secret, encryption_public, signing_secret, signing_public) and the two public keys' fingerprints (encryption_fingerprint, signing_fingerprint).

Details

An encryption key pair

episodic_import_export_encryption.key (secret) and episodic_import_export_encryption.pub (public). A partner encrypts the files meant for you to the public key; only the secret key opens them. Point EPISODIC_IMPORT_KEY at the secret key file.

A signing key pair

episodic_import_export_signing.key (secret) and episodic_import_export_signing.pub (public). Every file you export is signed with the secret key; a partner pins your public key and refuses any file it does not verify. Point EPISODIC_EXPORT_SIGNING_KEY at the secret key file.

Give your partners the two .pub files and your instance identifier (episodic_instance_id()), and never the .key files. The secret key files are written readable by their owner only; on Windows, which keeps no such permission bits, keep them in a directory only the account running EpiSODIC can read.

Keys never belong in the configuration file: they would enter a stored configuration export, and whoever reads that could read or forge every file.

See also

episodic_cases_export(), episodic_cases_import(), episodic_import_export_key_fingerprint(), vignette("import-export")

Examples

dir <- tempfile()
keys <- episodic_import_export_keygen(dir)
basename(unlist(keys[1:4]))
#> [1] "episodic_import_export_encryption.key"
#> [2] "episodic_import_export_encryption.pub"
#> [3] "episodic_import_export_signing.key"   
#> [4] "episodic_import_export_signing.pub"   
unlink(dir, recursive = TRUE)