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<concept id="GUID-66BBA81D-2488-50B8-8822-43AAAA139DDE" xml:lang="en"><title>Overview

of random number generation</title><prolog><metadata><keywords/></metadata></prolog><conbody>

purpose of the Random Number Generation API is the generation of cryptographically

strong random numbers. </p> <p>Several cryptographic applications rely upon

the randomness, unpredictability and irreproducibility of the random number

generator, such as: </p> <ul>

<li id="GUID-15685756-F94B-508C-A08C-8F0ECBC1A4AA"><p>one-time pads </p> </li>

<li id="GUID-7E3ED7CE-65C3-5E8B-9FF0-139763F3E54B"><p>key generation </p> </li>

<li id="GUID-0C65E7E4-A3F5-5EC4-9851-4A4E3090607B"><p>random nonces </p> </li>

<li id="GUID-3C16304A-CDA0-5F50-9D6C-D76C2D6EA586"><p>Initialization Vectors

(IVs) </p> </li>

<li id="GUID-59F195DE-94E7-56EE-9A7D-EAB5E401DF9A"><p>salts to be hashed with

passwords </p> </li>

<li id="GUID-96B7B9D1-AB0D-5A54-9C7F-771008F354C1"><p>unique parameters in

signing operations. </p> </li>

</ul> <p>The RNG uses the <xref href="http://www.agner.org/random/" scope="external">RANROT</xref> algorithm

seeded by random data available on the target hardware (for instance free

running counters available on ARM processors). <note><p>In order to be <b>fully</b> compliant

with DSS (Digital Signature Standard), applications using the cryptography

library must supply a <xref href="http://cr.yp.to/bib/2000/-dss.pdf" scope="external">FIPS-186-2</xref> CR

1 compliant random number generator. The library provides a mechanism for

using such a random number generator if required. </p></note></p> </section>

<section id="GUID-9350FD0E-7F09-5D82-BB91-EC1C8D740DBD"><title>The Random

Number Generation API</title> <p>The diagram below shows the main classes

used in the RNG, which are implemented in <filepath>random.dll</filepath>.

For information on each class see the Cryptography API Reference material. </p> <fig id="GUID-5326D881-8795-5803-8B82-EC02C0C40226">

<title>              The inheritance hierarchy for the RRandomSession and

CSystemRandom classes            </title>

</fig><p><b>How to use TRandom</b> </p> <p> <codeph>TRandom</codeph> is a

cryptographically stong random number generator. Its declaration is: </p> <codeblock id="GUID-53D847C3-2A1A-51D8-93FA-F68EA2374551" xml:space="preserve">class TRandom

    {

public:

    IMPORT_C static void RandomL(TDes8& aDestination);

    };</codeblock><note> The function <codeph>TRandom::Random()</codeph> which

panics rather than leaves when it cannot obtain a random number, is deprecated

from v9.1 onwards. </note> <p> <codeph>TRandom::RandomL()</codeph> generates

random bytes by first connecting to the random number generation server (using <codeph>RRandomSession</codeph>).

If the attempt to connect fails, <codeph>TRandom::RandomL()</codeph> leaves. </p> <p>The

server fills <codeph>aDestination</codeph> with randomly generated bytes up

to its current length (not its maximum length). If this fails, <codeph>TRandom::RandomL()</codeph> leaves.

If <codeph>aDestination</codeph> is 1024 or more bytes long, multiple calls

are made to the server. Finally, <codeph>TRandom</codeph> closes the session. </p> <p> <codeph>TRandom</codeph> can

be used like this: </p> <codeblock id="GUID-0472582C-D5BD-520D-848E-9989E8730851" xml:space="preserve">HBufC8* rand = HBufC8::NewLC(5);

TPtr8 pRand=rand->Des();

pRand.SetLength(5);

TRandom::RandomL(pRand);

...

CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(rand);</codeblock> </section>

</conbody></concept>