The JSON TTLV KMIP API

The easiest way to call the KMIP API is to use the ckms command line interface or one of the Cosmian cloudproof libraries which provide wrapper calls in the corresponding language.

Without the use of a library, the client must build the JSON TTLV messages from an Operation as described in the KMIP 2.1 specification, and issue an HTTP POST call to the /kmip/2_1 endpoint of the server.

Multiple operations can be sent in a single call using the Messages API .

Building JSON TTLV messages

Building JSON TTLV messages is a complex task and the easiest way to get started is to use the ckms CLI in debug mode to print the corresponding request and response messages.

The debug mode is activated by setting theRUST_LOG environment variable to cosmian_kms_client::kms_rest_client=debug. See the Debug Mode Example below.

To send multiple requests in a single call, se the Messages API .

Sample JSON TTLV messages

Please refer to the various operations pages for sample JSON TTLV messages.

Debug Mode Example

This creates a (default AES 256) symmetric key which will be tagged with the string myKey.

RUST_LOG="cosmian_kms_client::kms_rest_client=debug" \
ckms sym keys create --tag myKey

The CLI will then show the JSON TTLV requests and response:

2023-12-02T08:44:37.916528Z DEBUG ThreadId(01) cosmian_kms_client::kms_rest_client: crate/client/src/kms_rest_client.rs:663: ==>
{
  "tag": "Create",
  "type": "Structure",
  "value": [
    {
      "tag": "ObjectType",
      "type": "Enumeration",
      "value": "SymmetricKey"
    },
    {
      "tag": "Attributes",
      "type": "Structure",
      "value": [
        {
          "tag": "CryptographicAlgorithm",
          "type": "Enumeration",
          "value": "AES"
        },
        {
          "tag": "CryptographicLength",
          "type": "Integer",
          "value": 256
        },
        {
          "tag": "CryptographicUsageMask",
          "type": "Integer",
          "value": 2108
        },
        {
          "tag": "KeyFormatType",
          "type": "Enumeration",
          "value": "TransparentSymmetricKey"
        },
        {
          "tag": "ObjectType",
          "type": "Enumeration",
          "value": "SymmetricKey"
        },
        {
          "tag": "VendorAttributes",
          "type": "Structure",
          "value": [
            {
              "tag": "VendorAttributes",
              "type": "Structure",
              "value": [
                {
                  "tag": "VendorIdentification",
                  "type": "TextString",
                  "value": "cosmian"
                },
                {
                  "tag": "AttributeName",
                  "type": "TextString",
                  "value": "tag"
                },
                {
                  "tag": "AttributeValue",
                  "type": "ByteString",
                  "value": "5B226D794B6579225D"
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
2023-12-02T08:44:37.921325Z DEBUG ThreadId(01) cosmian_kms_client::kms_rest_client: crate/client/src/kms_rest_client.rs:675: <==
{
  "tag": "CreateResponse",
  "type": "Structure",
  "value": [
    {
      "tag": "ObjectType",
      "type": "Enumeration",
      "value": "SymmetricKey"
    },
    {
      "tag": "UniqueIdentifier",
      "type": "TextString",
      "value": "5dc81bb2-648f-485f-b804-c6ea45467056"
    }
  ]
}