Key Storage

Jira Admins can choose the location of their key for Server instances.

In Data Center instances, the only option is to store the key in Database. This is because keys stored in Memory are stored in the Java memory. A clustered instance has several Jira instances and, therefore, several Java memory spaces, which aren't shared among nodes.

Encryption for Jira for server provides two key storage options:

Database: Keys located in the database can be found by anyone with access to the database or by Jira Admins with scripting experience. While this method is more vulnerable, keys stored in the database can be backed up or restored.

The Memory storage option is available only to Jira Server users. It will be disabled in Data Center instances.

Memory: Keys located in the memory are much more difficult to find than those located in the database. Note that memory-stored keys are volatile. As the memory is cleaned when you stop your Jira instance, the keys are cleaned too. Administrators must enter them again every time Jira is started. Memory keys are not exported and cannot be restored automatically.

To select the storage location for your keys, complete the following steps:

Select Add-ons from the Jira Administration menu.
Select Configuration under Encryption for Jira in the left sidebar.
Select Encrypting keys from the progress bar.
Under Key Storage, select Database (by default) or Memory

Select Save.