Certificates tab

System Management Server uses a security certificate to ensure that communication between nodes is encrypted. The Certificates tab includes the following configurable fields:

• Certificate Source: Select either Automatically Generated (default), or Provided by IT. If your IT department is providing the certificate, select Import and navigate to the certificate file.

• Certificate: The certificate name is displayed. If you imported a certificate, select Details to know more. The certificate is periodically renewed through an automatic update process, both on the server node and on remote nodes.

• System Management Server: If you are connecting to an existing System Management Server, the name and port number of the server you selected is shown.

To configure the certificate for secure communications

1. If you want the Configurator to generate a certificate, select Automatically Generated from the Certificate Source list. By default, automatically generated is selected. The Certificate field is disabled if the Automatically Generated option is selected, or if certificates generated earlier have been deleted. To view more information about the certificate, select Details.

   Note: Automatically generated certificates are renewed automatically.

2. If you want to use a certificate generated by your IT Department, select Provided by IT (import/select) from the Certificate Source list.

   

3. From the Certificate list, select the certificate you want to use.

4. Select Import to use a certificate not listed in the Certificate list. The Import Certificate dialog is displayed.

   

5. In the Certificate file field, browse to select a certificate.

6. From the Certificate Store list, select the type of certificate: Root, Intermediate, or Personal. The certificate is configured to be used for encrypting communication channels.

   Depending upon the type selected here, the certificate is stored in the Certificate Store identified by the certificate type.

7. In the Password field, type the password for the selected certificate Store. The Certificate Store does not have a password. This is the optional password for the certificate being imported.

8. Select OK to save the details and close the Import Certificate dialog.

   Note: The IT Department needs to renew certificates they generate as and when required.

9. Select Details, to view the details of the certificate.

   The System Management Server field is displayed only if you have selected the Connect to an existing System Management Server option in the previous screen. You can use this field to change to a different System Management Server. From the System Management Server list, select the machine on which you want the certificate to be generated.

   Note: You can only specify a computer name or a fully-qualified domain name for the System Management Server. It is recommended that you always use a fully-qualified domain name to identify the SMS. Specifying the name in a different format, for example an IP address, may result in errors.