US 11,669,647 B1
Physical key cartridge for rack-mounted component
Shreyas Sampath, Seattle, WA (US); Jason Harland, Seattle, WA (US); Max Jesse Wishman, Seattle, WA (US); and Christopher S. Beall, Woodinville, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Oct. 30, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/669,229.
Int. Cl. G06F 21/86 (2013.01); H05K 7/14 (2006.01); H04L 9/08 (2006.01); H01R 13/627 (2006.01); H01R 13/631 (2006.01); H01R 33/945 (2006.01); G06F 21/60 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/86 (2013.01) [G06F 21/602 (2013.01); H01R 13/6272 (2013.01); H01R 13/631 (2013.01); H01R 33/945 (2013.01); H04L 9/0897 (2013.01); H05K 7/1489 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
installing, into a rack, a sled containing a server computer, wherein the sled is secured in place by a latch that is releasable by operation of a latch release mechanism;
arranging a housing of a key cartridge over the latch release mechanism, such that the housing blocks access to the latch release mechanism, wherein the key cartridge contains a cryptographic key within the housing;
inserting an electrical connector of the key cartridge into the sled so as to establish an electrical connection between the server computer and the cryptographic key within the housing, the cryptographic key enabling decryption of data on the server computer while the housing of the key cartridge is arranged over the latch release mechanism and blocks access to the latch release mechanism;
detaching the key cartridge so as to both expose the latch release mechanism and sever the electrical connection between the server computer and the cryptographic key so that decryption is disabled;
operating the latch release mechanism to release the sled from the rack; and
removing the sled from a seated position with the server computer in an encrypted state as a result of the electrical connection between the server computer and the cryptographic key being severed.