Concepts You Need to Know

To properly administer S/MIME, you need to be familiar with the following concepts:

• Basic administrative procedures for your platform

• Structure and use of a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory

• Addition or modification of entries in an LDAP directory

• Configuration process for the Sun Java System Directory Server

• Concepts and purpose of the following:

  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for a secured communications line

  • Digitally signed email messages

  • Encrypted email messages

  • Local key store of a browser

  • Smart cards and the software and hardware to use them

  • Private-public key pairs and their certificates

  • Certificate authorities (CA)

  • Verifying keys and their certificates

  • Certificate revocation list (CRL). (See When is a Certificate Checked Against a CRL?)