Installing a self-signed certificate for server authentication

IBM® Content Collector uses the HTTPS protocol for network communication. This requires a certificate for authentication. If you did not replace the default certificates that were created by the web application server with certificates signed by a trusted certificate authority, email clients must accept a certificate for authentication when they contact the IBM Content Collector server.

About this task

The certificate testifies that a server really is the server that a client wants to connect to.
Important: Never use self-signed certificates in a production environment. Replace the self-signed certificates by certificates issued by a trusted authority before running IBM Content Collector in a production environment.

Self-signed certificates can only be trusted directly while certificates signed by a trusted certificate authority have transitive trust. Transitive trust means that if the clients trust parts of the certificate chain the trust relationship is extended automatically to all parts of the certificate chain. In this case, email clients do not need to accept a certificate for authentication when they contact the IBM Content Collector server.

Procedure

To install a certificate:

  1. Open a web browser on the email client workstation.
  2. In the address field of the browser, type the following URL: 
    http://ICC_Web_Server:11080/AFUWeb/init

    where ICC_Web_Server is the name of the IBM Content Collector web server.

    If you installed part of the Content Collector web applications on an external web application server, you must use an HTTPS call to the Configuration Web Service instead:
    https://ICC_Server:11443/AFUConfig/Configuration?
type=ibm.ctms.configWebService&unique=default
    where ICC_Server is the host name of the machine on which you installed the IBM Content Collector Server.
    A website with an error message is displayed. The message varies depending on the web browser that you use.
  3. Follow the instructions for your web browser.
    Restriction: Content Collector Outlook Web App does not support Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.
    Browser Procedure
    Microsoft Internet Explorer After you saw this message Your connection is not secured with HTTPS, follow these steps:
    1. Click Continue to this website (not recommended).
    2. Click Certificate Error in the small field next to the address bar.
    3. On the Certification Path tab of the Certificate window, select the root certificate and click View Certificates.
    4. Click Install Certificate and click Yes when you are asked whether you want to install the certificate.
    5. Press F5 to refresh the page. The certificate error in the address bar disappears and a padlock icon is displayed, which indicates the use of HTTPS. The main window of the browser shows the message:

      Your connection is secured with HTTPS.

      Tip: If you have problems installing the certificate when you use Internet Explorer, check the setting of the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option. To do so, click Tools > Internet Options. Go to the security settings on the Advanced tab and ensure that the option is not selected.
    6. Restart your web browser.
    Mozilla Firefox After you saw this message This Connection is Untrusted, follow these steps:
    1. From the options that are available on this website, select I Understand the Risks.
    2. Click Add an Exception and accept the certificate. The page in the browser window shows the message:

      Your connection is secured with HTTPS.
    Apple Safari on Mac OS After you saw this message Safari can’t verify the identity of the website "ICC_Web_Server", follow these steps:
    1. From the options that are available on this message window, select Show Certificate.
    2. Select Always trust and click Continueaccept the certificate.
    3. Enter your password to make the changes to your certificate trust settings. The page in the browser window shows the message:

      Your connection is secured with HTTPS.