Create a TDE-enabled cluster

Select a documentation version:

Before you begin

Create the cluster

To create a TDE-enabled cluster, you must pass the necessary Key Management Service (KMS) configuration and authentication credentials during the initialization of the database. The only supported authentication type is jwt.

  1. Install AlloyDB Omni using RPM to prepare your environment and install the AlloyDB Omni RPM package.

  2. Initialize the database.

    HashiCorp Vault KMS

    Use this approach for production workloads.

    1. Run the following command to initialize the database with TDE enabled:

      sudo PGPASSWORD=POSTGRES_PASSWORD \
PGDATA=DATA_DIR \
VAULT_AUTH_TYPE=jwt \
VAULT_AUTH_MOUNT=JWT_AUTH_ENGINE_MOUNT \
VAULT_JWT_PATH=JWT_FILE_PATH \
VAULT_ROLE=VAULT_ROLE \
VAULT_CERT_PATH=VAULT_CERT_PATH \
POSTGRES_INITDB_ARGS="--tde-kek-url=KEK_URL" \
/usr/lib/postgresql/18/bin/alloydbomni18-setup initdb

      Replace the following:

      • POSTGRES_PASSWORD: the password for the database user.
      • DATA_DIR: the local directory to mount as the data volume for AlloyDB Omni—for example, /local/data.
      • VAULT_AUTH_TYPE: the type of authentication to use for the vault connection. Only jwt is supported.
      • JWT_AUTH_ENGINE_MOUNT: the path where the HashiCorp Vault authentication engine is mounted—for example, /auth/jwt.
      • JWT_FILE_PATH: the path where vault JWT is stored on your nodes—for example, tde-tls/jwt-token.
      • (Optional) VAULT_ROLE: the client role defined in your vault setup that lets HashiCorp Vault verify the JWT token authenticity.
      • VAULT_CERT_PATH: the path where the certificates for the vault connection are located in your container—for example, /tde-tls. If not set, the certificates in the default trust store are used.
      • KEK_URL: the fully qualified URL to the KEK in HashiCorp Vault. Use vault as the protocol to specify HashiCorp Vault as the KMS provider—for example, vault://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/secrets/data/alloydb_kek.

    2. To create an override file for alloydbomni.service in /etc/systemd/system/alloydbomni18.service.d/override.conf, add the following to the override.conf file:

      [Service]
Environment="VAULT_AUTH_TYPE"
Environment="VAULT_AUTH_MOUNT=JWT_AUTH_ENGINE_MOUNT"
Environment="VAULT_JWT_PATH=JWT_FILE_PATH"
Environment="VAULT_ROLE=VAULT_ROLE"
Environment="VAULT_CERT_PATH=VAULT_CERT_PATH"

    3. To apply the changes, reload the systemd daemon.

      sudo systemctl daemon-reload

    File Based KMS

    Use this approach for testing purposes only.

    To test TDE locally using a file-based key, you must first generate a 32 byte KEK on your machine.

    1. Create the directory, generate the key, and set the appropriate permissions.

      KEK_DIR=KEK_DIR
mkdir -p $KEK_DIR
sudo chown 999:999 $KEK_DIR
openssl rand -base64 32 | sudo tee $KEK_DIR/key
sudo chmod 0755 $KEK_DIR/key

    2. Initialize the database by passing the local file URI as your KEK URL.

      sudo PGPASSWORD=POSTGRES_PASSWORD \
PGDATA=DATA_DIR \
POSTGRES_INITDB_ARGS="--tde-kek-url=file:///$KEK_DIR/key" \
/usr/lib/postgresql/18/bin/alloydbomni18-setup initdb

      Replace the following:

      • POSTGRES_PASSWORD: the password for the database user.
      • DATA_DIR: the local directory to mount as the data volume for AlloyDB Omni—for example, /local/data.
      • KEK_DIR: the directory where the local file-based KEK is stored—for example, /tmp/alloydb/kms.

  3. After the database is initialized, follow the instructions in Install AlloyDB Omni using RPM to prepare the database, set up the host, and start the systemd service.

View TDE metrics

After the cluster is initialized, complete the following steps to verify that TDE is enabled and view related TDE metrics.

  1. Connect to your database using psql or your preferred client. For detailed instructions on connecting to your instances, see Run and connect to AlloyDB Omni.

  2. Run the following command:

    select * FROM pgsnap.g$tde_stats;

    The output shows TDE metrics such as whether TDE is enabled, the KEK URL, KEK version, and KEK creation timestamp.

    The following table explains what each metric means.

    Name Description Label Unit Type
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_data_blocks_decrypted_count_total Number of data blocks decrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_data_blocks_encrypted_count_total Number of data blocks encrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_data_decryption_time_us_total Total time spent in data block decryption. Not applicable microseconds counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_data_encryption_time_us_total Total time spent in data block encryption. Not applicable microseconds counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_enabled TDE enabled status. Not applicable gauge
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_kek_info TDE KEK information.
    • kek_version: Version of the KEK
      in use for key wrapping.
    • kek_url: Fully qualified path
      to KEK in KMS
    • kek_creation_timestamp:
      Creation time of the KEK version in use.
    		 gauge
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_temp_blocks_decrypted_count_total Number of temporary blocks decrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_temp_blocks_encrypted_count_total Number of temporary blocks encrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_temp_decryption_time_us_total Total time spent in temporary block decryption. Not applicable microseconds counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_temp_encryption_time_us_total Total time spent in temporary block encryption. Not applicable microseconds counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_wal_blocks_decrypted_count_total Number of WAL blocks decrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_wal_blocks_encrypted_count_total Number of WAL blocks encrypted. Not applicable counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_wal_decryption_time_us_total Total time spent in WAL block decryption. Not applicable microseconds counter
    alloydb_omni_database_tde_wal_encryption_time_us_total Total time spent in WAL block encryption. Not applicable microseconds counter