Tracking replica data using key management

Source and replica data in a storage area network is tracked during management of data encryption keys. Association of source and replica data allows for all copies of customer information in an enterprise to be managed as a single entity for deletion or tracked for management purposes by using referenced data encryption keys upon creation of replicas. Any replica from a source storage object can be created using the source storage object data encryption key or an associated key and tracked by these keys as a subset of the number of replicas created. Management of the data encryption keys can control the lifetime of data on a storage array and in the storage area network without managing every replicated instance for the lifetime of the data.