What is SSL?

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol that establishes an encrypted connection between a client and a server so that information can be transferred securely.

To activate SSL on a web server, an SSL certificate is required.

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that describes the authenticity and the integrity of the domain and also the company to which the site belongs. Once the SSL certificate is configured on the server, SSL is automatically activated.

The HTTPS in the URL of a site and the padlock symbol next to it, indicate that SSL is enabled. User(s) can also click on the padlock to view the certificate and the details of the certificate.

Important SSL-related terms

Term	Description
Certificate Signing Request (CSR)	To receive an SSL certificate, a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) needs to be created and submitted to a Certificate Authority (CA).
Certificate Authority (CA)	CA is an entity that verifies all the details mentioned in the CSR (name of the organization and more), and then issues the certificate. There are two types of CAs: internal CA and external CA. An internal CA is a member server or domain controller in a specific domain, that has been assigned the role of a CA. External CAs are third-party applications, like Comodo, Verisign, and more, that issue an SSL certificate for your organization.
Keystore	A keystore is a repository that contains the public and private keys required for encryption and decryption of data once a secure connection is established between the client and the server.

The usual process of obtaining and applying an SSL certificate includes the following steps:

• Creating a CSR
• Submitting the CSR to your CA
• Binding of the CSR with digital signatures by the CA
• Applying the certificates to your domain

The SSL Certificate Tool in ADManager Plus allows you to:

• Apply an existing certificate.
• Generate CSR and apply certificate.

Steps to apply an existing SSL certificate using ADManager Plus

1. Log in to ADManager Plus and navigate to the Admin tab. Expand the General Settings section in the left navigation pane and click on Connection.
2. Select the Apply Certificate option.
3. Choose how you would like to import the certificate from the options and fill in the required fields:
   • ZIP Upload: If your CA has given you a ZIP file, then select the ZIP Upload option. If your CA has sent you individual certificate files, such as user, intermediary, and root certificates, then combine all of them in a ZIP file. After selecting this option,
     • Browse and upload the Zip file in the Upload Certificate (Zip file) field.
     • If your certificate's private key is password protected, enter its password in the Private Key Passphrase field.
     • Click Apply.
   • Individual Certificate: If your CA has given only one certificate in the PFX or PEM format, then select the Individual Certificate option. After selecting this option,
     • Browse and upload the certificate in the Upload Certificate field.
     • Browse and upload the .ca file in the Upload CA Bundle field.
     • If the uploaded certificate is password protected, enter the password that must be provided to access it in the Certificate Password field.
     • Click Apply.
   • Certificate Content: If your CA has sent the certificate content, then paste the content in a text editor, and save the file in a CER, CRT, or PEM format, and upload that file by selecting the Certificate Content option.
     • Copy and paste the certificate content in the Paste Certificate Content field.
     • If your certificate's private key is password protected, enter its password in the Private Key Passphrase field.
     • Click Apply.

Steps to generate CSR and apply the certificate

1. Select Generate Certificate and fill in the required fields:
   • Common Name: Enter the name of the server where ADManager Plus is running.
   • SAN Names: Specify additional hostnames (sites, IP addresses, common names, etc.) that must be protected by the certificate.
   • Organization Unit: Enter the name of the department or the OU that must be specified in the certificate.
   • Organization: Enter the legal name of your organization.
   • City: Enter the city where your organization is located.
   • State/Province: Enter the state and province where your organization is located.
   • Country Code: Enter the two-letter code of the country where your organization is located.
   • Password: Enter the password that must be used to protect the certificate. The password must be at least 6 characters in length.
   • Validity (In Days): Enter the number of days the certificate should be valid. The default value is 90 days.
   • Public Key Length (In Bits): Enter the public key size in bits. The default key size is 1024 bits.
2. Click on Generate CSR to generate a CSR certificate to submit it to your CA, get the valid SSL, and then apply it to ADManager Plus.
   For this:
   • Click Download CSR or manually get it from the <Install_dir>\Certificates folder.
   • Once you have received the certificate files from your CA, follow the steps listed under Steps to apply an SSL certificate to ADManager Plus.
3. If you'd like to generate a self-signed certificate, click Generate & Apply Self-Signed Certificate.