Certificate options during profile creation
Starting in WebSphere® Application Server Version 7.0, you have several options available during profile creation concerning the default certificate and root certificate of the server.
- Import the default certificate of the server
- Import the root certificate of the server
- Customize the default certificate subjectDN and validity period of the server
- Customize the root certificate subjectDN and validity period of the server
Two new panels are available during profile creation that enable you to make decisions about the default certificate and root certificate of the server.
The first panel, titled Security Certificate (Part 1), enables you to choose to import a certificate or to have WebSphere Application Server create the default certificate or the default root certificate of the server for you.
The second panel, titled Security Certificate (Part 2), either displays the information from the certificate imported from the previous panel, or, if you choose to have WebSphere Application Server create the certificate, enables you to change the subjectDN and the certificate validity period.
Customization of certificates can also be performed by using the manageprofile command and from a silent install response file.
Importing the default certificate of the server during profile creation
If the default certificate of the server is imported during profile creation, it is added to NodeDefaultKeyStore if on a stand-alone application server, or to CellDefaultKeyStore if on a deployment manager. The imported certificate signer is added to NodeDefaultTrustStore or CellDefaultTrustStore.
- Select Import an existing default personal certificate.
- Type or select the keystore file name.
- Enter the password of the keystore.
- Select a keystore type from the pull-down list.
- If you have correctly filled in all information from the previous 3 steps, you are able to select a certificate alias from the pull-down list.
The certificate you choose is imported to the default keystore of the server. The next panel, Security Certificate (Part 2) displays the issuedTo and issuedBy certificate information.
- -importPersonalCertKS keystore_path
- the keystore file location
- -importPersonalCertKSType keystore_type
- the type of the keystore
- -importPersonalCertKSPassword keystore_password
- the password to open the keystore
- -importPersonalCertKSAlias keystore_alias
- the alias of the certificate used from the keystore
Importing the root certificate of the server during profile creation
If the server root certificate is imported during profile creation, the certificate is added to NodeDefaultRootStore on a stand-alone application server or to DmgrDefaultRootStore on a deployment manager. The signer is pulled from the imported root certificate and added to NodeDefaultTrustStore or CellDefaultTrustStore. The root certificate is used by WebSphere Application Server to sign any chained certificates it creates. If no default certificate is provided during profile creation, WebSphere Application Server uses the root certificate to sign the default certificate of the server.
- Select Import an existing root signing certificate.
- Type or select the keystore file name.
- Enter the password of the keystore.
- Select a keystore type from the pull-down list.
- If you have correctly filled in all information from the previous 3 steps, you are able to select a certificate alias from the pull-down list.
The certificate you choose is imported to the root keystore of the server. The next panel, Security Certificate (Part 2) displays the issuedTo and issuedBy certificate information.
- -importSigninglCertKS keystore_path
- the keystore file location
- -importSigningCertKSType keystore_type
- the type of the keystore
- -importSigningCertKSPassword keystore_password
- the password to open the keystore
- -importSigningCertKSAlias keystore_alias
- the alias of the certificate used from the keystore
Customizing the default certificate created by WebSphere Application Server
If you choose to let WebSphere Application Server create the default certificate of the server, you can customize the subject distinguished name (DN) and the life span of the certificate.
To customize the default certificate of the server on the Security Certificate (Part 1) panel, do the following:
- Select Create a new default personal certificate.
- On the next panel, Security Certificate (Part 2), the Issued to distinguished name field contains the WebSphere Application Server default DN. Replace this with your customized DN.
- In Expiration period in years, select the number of years you want the certificate to be valid for.
- -personalCertDN distinguished_name
- the DN to give to the certificate
- -personalCertValidityPeriod validity_period
- the life span to give to the certificate
Customizing the root certificate created by WebSphere Application Server
If you choose to let WebSphere Application Server create the root certificate, you can customize the DN of the certificate and the life span of the certificate.
- Select Create a new root signing certificate.
- On the next panel, Security Certificate (Part 2), the Issued by distinguished name field contains the WebSphere Application Server default root certificate DN. Replace this with your customized DN.
- In Expiration period in years, select the number of years you want the root certificate to be valid for.
- -signingCertDN distinguished_name
- the DN to give to the root certificate
- -signingCertValidityPeriod validity_period
- the life span to give to the root certificate