Protecting Data by Using HTTPS

WAN boot supports the use of HTTP over Secure Sockets Layer (HTTPS) to transfer data between the WAN boot server and the client. By using HTTPS, you can require the server, or both the server and the client, to authenticate themselves during the installation. HTTPS also encrypts the data that is transferred from the server to the client during the installation.

HTTPS uses digital certificates to authenticate systems that exchange data over the network. A digital certificate is a file that identifies a system, either a server or client, as a system to trust during online communication. You can request a digital certificate from an external certificate authority, or create your own certificate and certificate authority.

To enable the client to trust the server and accept data from the server, you must install a digital certificate on the server. You then instruct the client to trust this certificate. You can also require the client to authenticate itself to the servers by providing a digital certificate to the client. You can then instruct the server to accept the certificate's signer when the client presents the certificate during the installation.

To use digital certificates during the installation, you must configure your web server to use HTTPS. See your web server documentation for information about how to use HTTPS.

For information about the requirements to use digital certificates during your WAN boot installation, see Digital Certificate Requirements. For instructions about how to use digital certificates in your WAN boot installation, see (Optional) To Use Digital Certificates for Server and Client Authentication.