Initializing the token

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You must initialize each adapter or PKCS#11 token before you can use it successfully.

This initialization procedure involves setting a unique label to the token so that applications can identify the token. Therefore, the labels must not be repeated. However, the API does not verify that labels are not reused. You can initialize a token through a PKCS#11 application or by the system administrator using SMIT. If your token has a Security Officer PIN, the default value is set to 87654321. To ensure the security of the PKCS#11 subsystem, change this value after initialization.

To initialize the token, complete the following steps:

  1. Enter the token management screen by typing /usr/sbin/p11admin.
  2. Select Source PKCS#11 Slot/Token and select a PKCS#11 token.
  3. Select Manage PKCS#11 Tokens.
  4. Select Initialize Source Token.
    Note: For previously initialized tokens, this action erases all the objects and token information.
  5. To specify a token label for the PKCS#11 token and to reset the default security officer PIN (SO PIN), complete the following steps:
    1. Enter a unique label for the PKCS#11 token.
    2. Enter the new SO PIN.
    3. Enter the SO PIN again.
    4. Press Enter.

If the correct PIN is entered, the adapter is initialized or reinitialized after the command runs.