i-Planet Administration Guide

SSL Certificates for the i-Planet Gateway

The SSL certificates, either self-signed or from a certificate vendor, who provides authority (CA) services, are used for secure communication over the Internet with the end user. SSL certificates provide a way to authenticate users. When you installed the i-Planet software, you automatically created a self-signed SSL certificate. In creating this certificate, you entered specific information about your organization, such as company name and address, and a passphrase. This information is used in creating a certificate.

If you want to use an SSL certificate that is signed by a certificate vendor after you have installed the i-Planet software, you must run the certadmin script to generate an SSL certificate signing request CSR). The CSR is used to get an SSL certificate from a vendor.

Self-Signed SSL Certificate on the i-Planet Gateway

When you installed the i-Planet software, you created and installed a self-signed SSL certificate. At some point after installation, you might want to generate a new self-signed certificate; you might want to change the information for the certificate you entered during the original installation, for example.

To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway
  1. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway:


    /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin

    The Certificate Administration menu is displayed:


    1) Generate Self-Signed Certificate
    2) Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
    3) Add Root CA Certificate
    4) Install Certificate from Certificate Authority (CA)
    5) Quit
    choice: [5]

  2. Enter 1 on the Certificate Administration menu to generate a self-signed certificate.

    The Certificate Administration script prompts you to enter specific information about your organization and a passphrase for the self-signed certificate:


    What is the fully qualified DNS name of this host? [hostname.domainname]
    What is the name of your organization? []
    What is the name of your organizational unit? []
    What is the name of your City or Locality? []
    What is the name of your State or Province? []
    What is the two-letter country code for this unit? []
    ...
    Enter passphrase []

  3. Enter the information for your organization and a passphrase for the self-signed certificate.

    A self-signed certificate is generated and added to the file /etc/opt/SUNWstnr/rp.keystore on the i-Planet gateway. Your prompt returns.

  4. Stop and restart the reverse proxy server on the i-Planet gateway for the certificate to take effect.

    See the procedure "To Stop and Restart the Reverse Proxy Server on the i-Planet Gateway" in Chapter 3, Other Administrative Tasks.

  5. Make a backup copy of the rp.keystore file.

SSL Certificates From Vendors

During i-Planet software installation, you created and installed a self-signed SSL certificate. At some point after installation, you have the option to install SSL certificates signed by vendors who provide official certificate authority (CA) services.

i-Planet software contains root certificates that can be used with SSL certificates from Verisign, Inc. If you decide to install an SSL certificate from a vendor other than Verisign, you must install a root certificate from that vendor first, and then install the web server certificate.

Certificates are stored in the rp.keystore file. Once you generate a certificate signing request (used to request a certificate from a third-party vendor), make sure you keep a backup copy of the rp.keystore file. This file contains your private key, which is associated with the certificate that you purchase; if you lose the file, you will not be able to use the certificate that you bought.

To Install SSL Certificates From Verisign
  1. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway.


    /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin

    The Certificate Administration menu is displayed:


    1) Generate Self-Signed Certificate
    2) Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
    3) Add Root CA Certificate
    4) Install Certificate from Certificate Authority (CA)
    5) Quit
    choice: [5]

  2. Enter 2 on the Certificate Administration menu to generate a certificate signing request (CSR).

    The information from your current self-signed certificate is displayed. You are asked if this information is correct.

    • If no self-signed certificate exists on this machine, the Certificate Administration script notifies you that you must create one. Refer to the procedure "To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway" earlier in this chapter.

    • If a self-signed certificate exists on this machine, the information from the certificate is displayed. The Certificate Administration script asks the question:


      Is this information correct (y/n)? [n]

    1. Enter y if the information is correct, or enter n if it is not correct.

      • If you enter n, you are asked to enter information for a new self-signed certificate. See the procedure "To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway" in this chapter.

      • If you enter y, you are asked to enter some contact information for the webmaster of the machine for which the certificate is being generated:


        What is the name of the admin/webmaster for this server? []
        What is the email address of the admin/webmaster for this server? []
        What is the phone number of the admin/webmaster for this server? []

    2. Enter the name, the email address, and the telephone number of the administrator or webmaster for this server.

      The Certificate Administration script displays the values you enter and asks the question:


      Are these values correct (y/n)? [n]

    3. Enter y if the information is correct, or enter n if it is not correct.

      • If you enter y, the CSR is generated and stored in the file /tmp/csr.hostname.

      • If you enter n, the Certificate Administration script asks you to enter the values again.

  3. Go to the certificate authority's website and order your web server certificate.

    1. Provide information from your CSR, as requested by the CA.

    2. Provide any other information as requested by the CA, such as a passphrase.

    3. Specify your web server type as: Java Webserver.

      Specifying Java Webserver means that you want your certificate in privacy enhanced mail (PEM) format.

  4. After you receive your certificate from the CA, save it in a file.

    The certificate begins with a line that reads:

    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----

    continues with the certificate itself, and ends with a line that reads:

    -----END CERTIFICATE-----

    Make sure you include both of these lines with the certificate in the file.

  5. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway:


    /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin
    

    The Certificate Administration menu is displayed:


    1) Generate Self-Signed Certificate
    2) Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
    3) Add Root CA Certificate
    4) Install Certificate from Certificate Authority (CA)
    5) Quit
    choice: [5]

  6. Enter 4 on the Certificate Administration menu to install your certificate from the CA.

    The Certificate Administration script asks the question:


    What is the name (including path) of the file that contains the certificate? []

  7. Enter the full path to the file containing the certificate from the CA.

    Your certificate is stored in the file /etc/opt/SUNWstnr/rp.keystore and your prompt returns.

  8. Stop and restart the reverse proxy server on the i-Planet gateway for the certificate to take effect.

    See the procedure "To Stop and Restart the Reverse Proxy Server on the i-Planet Gateway" in Chapter 3, Other Administrative Tasks.

  9. Make a backup copy of the rp.keystore file for the i-Planet gateway.

To Install SSL Root Certificates and SSL Certificates From Other Vendors

You must have already generated a self-signed certificate to install a root certificate. See the procedure "To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway" in this chapter.

  1. Go to the Certificate Authority's website and download its root certificate.

    The website should contain instructions for downloading the certificate, usually as a file.

  2. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway:


    /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin
    

    The Certificate Administration menu is displayed:


    1) Generate Self-Signed Certificate
    2) Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
    3) Add Root CA Certificate
    4) Install Certificate from Certificate Authority (CA)
    5) Quit
    choice: [5]

  3. Enter 3 on the Certificate Administration menu to add a root certificate from the CA.

    The Certificate Administration script asks the question:


    What is the name (including path) of the file that contains the root certificate that you would like to add to your database? []

    1. Enter the full path to the file containing the root certificate.

      The file is displayed and the Certificate Administration script asks the question:


      Is this information correct (y/n)? [n]

    2. Enter y if the file is correct, or n if it is not.

      • If you enter y, the root certificate is stored the /etc/opt/SUNWstnr/rp.CAstore file and your prompt returns.

      • If you enter n, the root certificate is not added and your prompt returns.

  4. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway.


    # /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin
    

  5. Enter 2 on the Certificate Administration menu to generate a certificate signing request (CSR).

    • If no self-signed certificate exists on this machine, the Certificate Administration script notifies you that you must create one. Refer to the procedure "To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway" earlier in this chapter.

    • If a self-signed certificate exists on this machine, the information from the certificate is displayed. The Certificate Administration script asks the question:


      Is this information correct (y/n)? [n]

    1. Enter y if the information is correct, or enter n if it is not correct.

      • If you enter n, you are asked to enter information for a new self-signed certificate. See the procedure "To Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for the i-Planet Gateway" in this chapter.

      • If you enter y, you are asked to enter some contact information for the webmaster of the machine for which the certificate is being generated:


        What is the name of the admin/webmaster for this server? []
        What is the email address of the admin/webmaster for this server? []
        What is the phone number of the admin/webmaster for this server? []

    2. Enter the name, the email address, and the telephone number of the administrator or webmaster for this server.

      The Certificate Administration script displays the values you enter and asks the question:


      Are these values correct (y/n)? [n]

    3. Enter y if the information is correct, or enter n if it is not correct.

      • If you enter y, the CSR is generated and stored in the file /tmp/csr.hostname.

      • If you enter n, the Certificate Administration script asks you to enter the information again.

  6. Return to the Certificate Authority's website and order your web server certificate.

    1. Provide information from your CSR, as requested by the CA.

    2. Provide other information as requested by the CA, such as a passphrase.

    3. Specify your web server type as: Java Webserver.

      Specifying Java Webserver means that you want your certificate in privacy enhanced mail (PEM) format.

  7. After you receive your certificate from the CA, save it in a file.

    The certificate begins with a line that reads:

    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----

    continues with the certificate itself, and ends with a line that reads:

    -----END CERTIFICATE-----

    Make sure you include both of these lines with the certificate in the file.

  8. As root, run the certadmin script on the i-Planet gateway:


    /opt/SUNWsnrp/bin/certadmin
    

    The Certificate Administration menu is displayed:


    1) Generate Self-Signed Certificate
    2) Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
    3) Add Root CA Certificate
    4) Install Certificate from Certificate Authority (CA)
    5) Quit
    choice: [5]

  9. Enter 4 on the Certificate Administration menu to install the certificate from the CA.

    The Certificate Administration script asks the question:


    What is the name (including path) of the file that contains the certificate? []

  10. Enter the full path to the file containing the certificate.

    Your certificate is added to the /etc/opt/SUNWstnr/rp.keystore file and your prompt returns.

  11. Stop and restart the i-Planet gateway for the certificate to take effect.

    See the procedure "To Stop and Restart the Reverse Proxy Server on the i-Planet Gateway" in Chapter 3, Other Administrative Tasks.

  12. Make a backup copy of the rp.keystore file for the i-Planet gateway.