How to sign certificate requests from a client system?
Hi,
I can't work out how to use the Cache CA Server to process certificate request from external clients!
We are setting up an interface where we use SSL/TLS 'Mutual Authentication' to allow a client system to securely transmit document to our server. (they are off-site and hosting a service for us)
I am not a security expert, but my understanding of setting up mutual authentication where my instance of ensemble is the server, and it is receiving messages from a client is as follows
- I create a CA private key and self-signed certificate ( or purchase a cert from one of the big providers)
- Generate the server certificate and private key
- The client generates their own private key and certificate request.
- The client sends me their certificate request (only)
- I use my CA private key and their certificate request to create the client certificate
- I send the Client certificate and my CA certificate to the client.
When the client initiates a connection with my instance of ensemble, the SSL handshake is used to let both parties confirm they are connecting to who they are connecting to*, and establish a secure channel.
While the SSl/TLS configurations facility supports setting up client and server configurations, the Public Key Infrastructure only seems to support signing a certificate request created in the 'InterSystems Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)':
'5. At this point, you have used Caché to create and submit the CSR.'
(Submitting a Certificate Signing Request to a Certificate Authority Server at http://docs.intersystems.com/latest/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?KEY=GCAS_pki#GCAS_pki_csr_submit)
Unfortunately to do 'Mutual Authentication' we need to sign a certificate request sent by the client system.
I can use OpenSSL to process the certificate request at the command line, but I'd prefer to use the 'InterSystems Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)' facilities if possible.
Is there a folder I should put the certificate request from exteral clients so the Cache CA Server can 'Process pending Certificate Signing Requests' ?
[If the the 'InterSystems Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)' can't be used to sign certificate requests, I'll write a short post on how to do it with OpenSSL on the command line.]
Kind regards,
Stephen