Setting up Certificate Authentication

This section provides additional details and steps to assist the configuration of certificate authentication used in a single signon implementation.

In the following scenario, you are configuring single signon between these two PeopleSoft systems.

Database	Node Name	Local Node	Remote Node
PeopleSoft Portal (master)	PSPORTAL	PSPORTAL	PSHCM
PeopleSoft HCM (content)	PSHCM	PSHCM	PSPORTAL

Perform these steps:

1. Set certificate authentication option in master database.

2. Define the portal node and establish trust in content database.

3. Create the private key and install the digital certificate for the local node in master database.

4. Install the digital certificate for the remote node in the content-side database.

Setting Certificate Authentication Option in Master Database

To set certificate authentication option in master database:

1. Sign in to the Portal database.

2. Select PeopleTools, and then Portal, and then Portal Node Definitions.

3. Select PSPORTAL from the list of nodes.

4. Verify that it is the local node.

5. Select Certificate from the Authentication Option drop-down list box.

6. Save the page.

7. Click the Return to Search button.

8. Verify that PSHCM exists as a remote node.

Defining Portal Node and Establishing Trust in Content Database

To define the portal node and establish trust in content database:

1. Sign in to the HCM database.

2. Select PeopleTools, and then Portal, and then Node Definition.

3. Click the Add a New Value link.

4. Enter PSPORTAL and click the Add button.

5. Select Certificate from the Authentication Option drop-down list box.

6. Save the page.

7. Select PeopleTools, and then Security, and then Security Objects, and then PeopleSoft Single Signon and add the PSPORTAL message node to the list of trusted nodes in the Trust Authentication Tokens issued by these Nodes group box.

8. Save the page.

Creating the Private Key and Installing the Digital Certificate for Local Node

To create the private key and install the digital certificate for the local node:

1. Sign in to the Portal database.

2. Select PeopleTools, and then Security, and then Security Objects, and then Digital Certificates.

   Note:

   Make sure that Root CA with Issuer Alias of PeopleTools is available.

3. Click the Add a new row button (+).

4. Select Local Node as the Type.

5. Enter PSPORTAL in the Alias field.

6. Select PeopleTools as the Issuer Alias.

7. Click the Request link.

8. Fill in the form

   Note:

   For UNIX application servers, use 512 as the Key Size and PSPORTAL as the common name.

9. Click the OK button.

10. Select all of the text, copy the request, and click the OK button.

11. Request a certificate from your certificate provider.

12. Request the certificate using a base-64-encoded CMC or PKCS #10 file, or submit a renewal request by using a base-64-encoded PKCS #7 file.

13. When you receive the certificate, download and save it to C:\temp as newcert.cer.

14. Open the certificate with a text editor.

15. Select all of the text and copy the certificate.

16. Sign in to the Portal database.

17. Select PeopleTools, and then Security, and then Security Objects, and then Digital Certificates.

18. Click the Import link for the PSPORTAL alias.

19. Paste the certificate into the text box.

    Note:

    Make sure that there is no space after END CERTIFICATE, otherwise, you are not allowed to save.

20. Click the OK button.

Installing Digital Certificate for the Remote Node in the Content-Side Database.

To install the digital certificate for the remote node in the content-side database:

1. Sign in to the HCM database.

2. Navigate to PeopleTools, and then Security, and then Security Objects, and then Digital Certificates.

3. Click the Add a new row button (+).

4. Select Remote Node as the Type.

5. Enter PSPORTAL in the Alias field.

6. Select PeopleTools as the Issuer Alias.

7. Click the Import link.

8. Open the certificate that you downloaded to C:\temp\newcert.cer with a text editor.

9. Copy the text and paste the digital certificate into the empty edit box.

10. Click the OK button.