Automating CLM for Microsoft IIS
Prerequisites
- Both the Windows gateway agent and the windows machine running Microsoft IIS must have administrative privileges.
- Ensure that PowerShell and WinRM tools are installed and running on the Windows machine.
- Verify that Microsoft IIS services are active on the Windows machine.
- At least one website must be configured on the Microsoft IIS server.
- If the Gateway type is selected as WMI, ensure that WMI is properly configured (optional).
- The user must have read and write permissions for the folder specified as the discovery path and the push location.
- The user must have the right access permissions to the drive, and the drive must be configured in sharing mode to allow discovery and push operations.
- To discover and push the certificate to the store, user should have Read and write access to the trust store (to discover and push certificates).
Limitations
- Certificates enrolled at the endpoint cannot be pushed to the file system, as this functionality is not supported in the application.
- External vault integration in Folder credential is not supported when the shared path credential differs from the onboarded device credential.
Onboarding Microsoft IIS
-
Go to
(Menu) > CERT+ >
ADMINISTRATION > Device
Management.
By default, the ADC tab opens. - Click the Server tab.
-
Click the
(Add) icon.
The Device details page is displayed. - Select Microsoft IIS from the Vendors list.
-
In the Server details section, select/enter the
details as follows.
Table 1. Server Details - Field Description Table Fields Description *Server name Enter the name of the designated Microsoft IIS server. *Hostname Enter the hostname of the Microsoft IIS server that is to be onboarded. Note: If the Microsoft IIS server is configured for the integrated Windows Gateway mode, ensure that the hostname used is resolvable in the cloud connector. The usage of FQDN is preferred.Data center Choose the desired data center. It holds all the SSL What can you do next? that is to be retrieved from the Microsoft IIS server. Cert Sync Choose from any of the following: - Managed - AppViewX performs the config fetch operations and the certificates are discovered and managed in the inventory. CLM actions (push & bind, rollback etc.) can be performed on them.
- Monitored - AppViewX performs the config fetch operations and the certificates are downloaded in the inventory in the read-only state. CLM actions cannot be performed on them.
- Ignored - AppViewX only performs the config fetch operations for the devices. There is no certificate discovery performed.
*: Mandatory fields -
In the Credentials section, select/enter the details
as indicated below. The credentials entered in this section are used to
authenticate the session between the AppViewX node and the Microsoft server
device.
Table 2. Credentials - Field Description Table Fields Description *Credential Type Select the credential type from the dropdown. - Manual entry (default)
- Credential List - Appviewx
- Gateway credential
- All supported external vaults
Note:- If Credential list - Appviewx is selected, the *Credentials list dropdown field is displayed. Select any of the preconfigured credential values.
- If Gateway credential is selected no other fields are displayed.
- AppViewX supports the following external
credential types:
- HashiCorp
- CyberArk
- BeyondTrust
- Thycotic
Certificate Location Details By default, only the Certificate store option is selected for certificate discovery. If the user wants to discover certificates from the Centralized file system, they must select the corresponding checkbox, specify the certificate location. The certificate location supports both a shared path and a local file system directory; however, only one of these can be configured at a time. From the given location
pfx and p12 certificates will be discovered.Choose a pre-configured password vault from the dropdown menu to parse the password protected certificates.
*Username Enter the designated username for authentication.. (field displayed for manual entry only) *Password Enter the secure password. (field displayed for manual entry only) *: Mandatory fields -
Enter/Select the Windows gateway details.
Table 3. Windows Gateway Details - Field Description Table Fields Description *Windows Gateway Mode For communicating with Windows-based devices, from the following options, select the gateway agent mode to be used: - External
This mode will use the AppViewX Windows Gateway Agent that is set up on a Windows device.
- Integrated

This mode will use the prepackaged gateway that is integrated in the AppViewX Cloud Connector (enabled only in the SaaS and Managed Kubernetes installations).
Prerequisites for using the Integrated Windows Gateway mode
Note: The integrated gateway functionality is not compatible with the following feature:- Server addition using the import feature
*Gateway type From the following options, select the required gateway type: - PowerShell
- WMI
Note: The integrated gateway uses only the PowerShell gateway command execution mode and therefore, this field is not displayed when Windows Gateway Mode = Integrated.*Gateway location From the following options, select the gateway location: - Remote
- LocalSystem
Note: By default, the integrated gateway is remotely located. and therefore, this field is not displayed when Windows Gateway Mode = Integrated.*FQDN Note: This field is displayed when Gateway location = LocalSystem.Enter the FQDN of the local system on which the Windows Gateway Agent will be installed.*Port Note: This field is displayed when Gateway location = LocalSystem.Enter the port number of the local system on which the Windows Gateway Agent will be installed.*Select gateway Note: This field is not displayed when Windows Gateway Mode = Integrated.From the following options, select the gateway:- New
- Existing
*Windows gateway Note: This field is displayed only when Select gateway = Existing.From the dropdown list, select an existing Windows gateway.*Windows gateway name For Windows Gateway Mode = External and Select gateway = New, enter a name for the Windows Gateway. For Windows Gateway Mode = Integrated, this field is auto-populated with the value integrated-gateway.
*Windows gateway URL Note: This field is displayed only when Windows Gateway Mode = External.Enter the URL of the Windows Gateway endpoint.Client authentication certificate Note: This field is displayed only when Windows Gateway Mode = External and Select gateway = New.Upload the client certificate used while installing Windows Gateway. You can use the default client certificate (ClientCertificateGateway.pfx) or a custom certificate.*: Mandatory fields Note:Microsoft IIS Discovery
The discovery process for Microsoft IIS can leverage multiple sources, as outlined below:
- File System Discovery: Requires at least one file path to be specified during device addition.
- Microsoft Certificate Store Discovery: Automatically scans the server’s certificate store for available certificates.
- Shared Network Path Discovery:IIS supports discovery through shared network paths. This means that within the network of the managed IIS device, the logged-in user can be granted access to a shared folder on another system. By specifying that shared network path in the certificate location, the discovery process can be performed successfully.
The AppConnector is created dynamically based on the discovery method used.
Connector Behavior for IIS
For certificates discovered from the File System in Microsoft IIS, both Push-only/Default connectors and detailed profile connectors are created. The available profiles depend on the selected push certificate type in the application connector.Push Certificate Type Options
When adding or updating certificates in Microsoft IIS using the app connector, users can select the desired Push Certificate Type:- Push Certificate: You can only push certificates to
the Certificate store or Centralized File System.
- Only the Device Name profile is displayed for selection.
- Profile naming
convention:
{device_name}
- Push and Bind Certificate: You can push a certificate
to the Certificate store and bind it to the IIS site.
All detailed profile connectors are displayed for selection, using the convention described below:
MS IIS::<siteName>::<host/IP>:<port>:<hostname (optional)>:CS[:(SNI or protocol)]<siteName>: IIS site name or wildcard (*)<host/IP>: Hostname or IP address, or *<port>: Port number (e.g., 80, 443)<hostname (optional)>: FQDN or specific hostname, if applicableCS: Certificate Store indicator:(SNI or protocol): (SNI) if SNI enabled, (http) for HTTP profile, as applicable
Examples:HTTP Sites Checkbox BehaviorMS IIS::test:*:8090:CSMS IIS::test:*:443:CSMS IIS::ptpld178.appviewx.net:192.168.12.18:80:www.testiisjune4.com:CS:(SNI)MS IIS::PTPLD178.avxdevlab.net:*:443:PTPLD178.avxdevlab.net:(http)
If the HTTP Sites check box is selected in the app connector, only profiles that represent HTTP sites (with port 80 or marked as(http)) will be displayed for selection; other profile connectors, such as HTTPS or SNI, will be excluded.- You can only push certificates to the Certificate store or Centralized File System.
- If the customer wants to perform custom operations (such as validations, service-related activities, backup, etc) before the push or after a successful push operation, they need to configure and use the Pre-Script and Post-Script Execution options.
- One or more Store profiles can be selected to push the certificate to the respective store
- External
-
In the Certificate location details section, enter
the details as indicated below.
Table 4. Certificate Location Details - Field Description Table Fields Description *Location type Select to the checkbox for Certificate store or Centralized file system or both as the location type. *Certificate location Enter the directory or path where the certificate is stored. Example: C:\Cert\folder
*Password vault Select any of the preconfigured password vault values. None is selected by default. *: Mandatory fields -
In the Folder credential details section, enter the
details as indicated below.
Table 5. Folder Credential Details - Field Description Table Fields Description *Folder credentials Select from - Use gateway credential
- New
- Use device credential (disabled by default)
*Credential type Select the credential type from the dropdown. - Manual entry (default)
- Credential List - Appviewx
- Credential List - CyberArk
- Credential List - Thycotic
- Credential List - Hashicorp
- Credential List - BeyondTrust
Note: If Credential list - Appviewx or Credential list - CyberArk is selected, the *Credentials list dropdown field is displayed. Select any of the preconfigured credential values.*Username Enter the designated username for authentication. (field displayed for manual entry only) *Password Enter the secure password. (field displayed for manual entry only) *: Mandatory fields -
Click Save.
The Microsoft IIS device is onboarded successfully.
Validating the Device
-
Go to ADMINISTRATION > Device
Management.
By default, the ADC tab opens.
-
Click the Server tab.
The Server Inventory page is displayed.
-
Check that the device name appears in the inventory (Name column) with the
specified CertSync status (Status Column).
The status column will have the value Managed/Monitored/Ignored based on the CertSync status if the connection is successful or displays Failed/Unresolved in case of failure.
-
From the Status column, click the Managed/Monitored.
Device Status Log pop-up is displayed.
- Expand each value in the pop-up to know the Device communication, Device Version, Instance Information, and Certificate Discovery From Device.
Discovering Certificates for Microsoft IIS
-
Go to
(Menu) > CERT+ >
CERTIFICATE DISCOVERY > Discovery > Managed Devices
Scan.
The Discovery : Managed Devices Scan : Add Discovery page is displayed. -
To initiate a managed devices scan, enter the Discover Details.
-
In the Discover By section, enter the discovery details.
Table 9. Instruction for discovering certificates Field Description *Discovery From From the dropdown list, select Managed Servers. Devices window A list of all the managed server devices is displayed in the devices window. To select devices for certificate discovery, select the checkbox(es) for the required devices.
The devices window has the following option:
- Search: Enter keywords to filter and select the desired vendor or device name from thematching results.
- Add as Favorites: You can mark your frequently used devices as favorites.
- All: Select this to see the complete list of devices (unfiltered).
- Selected: Select this to list only the selected devices.
- Unselected: Select this to list only the unselected devices.
- Delete: Delete the required devices from the favorites list.
Execute Batches Sequentially To execute the discovery operation on the specified batches sequentially, select this checkbox. *Interval Between Batches If Execute Batches Sequentially is selected, enter an interval duration (in minutes) in this field. The sequential execution of the batches is spaced according to the interval value entered here. *Discovery Type From the following options, select one: - All Certificates: Select this to discover all certificates.
- Certificates in Use: Select this to discover only those certificates that are associated with a service.
*: Mandatory fields -
In the Discovery Rules section, from the Associate Rule
dropdown list, select a rule that will be used to filter the discovered
certificates.
A set of filters is combined to create a rule, from the Rules menu. The selection of rules will apply respective filters on discovered certificates.
-
In the After Discover section, enter the following
details:
Table 10. Field descriptions for the After Discover section Field Description *Move Certificate to Inventory with Status Select from one of the following options: - Do not move: The newly discovered certificates and their objects will not be moved to the inventory.
- Managed: The newly discovered certificates and their objects will be moved to the inventory with the status set to Managed.
- Monitored: The newly discovered certificates and their objects will be moved to the inventory with the status set to Monitored.
Use Access Control Rule To apply the rule configured using Access Control, select this checkbox. Note: If this checkbox is enabled, the certificate group will be associated automatically by the rule in access control.*Certificate Group From the dropdown list, select a certificate group to which the discovered certificates will be associated. Based on the group association, a policy will also be applied to these certificates, which will help ascertain compliance or non-compliance.
*: Mandatory fields -
Click Discover/Schedule to trigger the
on-demand/scheduled discovery, respectively.
The discovered certificates are displayed in the certificate inventory.
Enrolling a Server Certificate
Prerequisites
Enrolling a Server Certificate
To enroll a server certificate:
-
Go to
(Menu) > CERT+ > CERTIFICATE
ACTION > Enroll Certificate >
Server
The Enroll Server Certificate page is displayed. - In the General Information section, from the dropdown list, select the required Assign Group.
-
Enter the CA Details.
Table 11. Field descriptions for the CA Details section Field Description *Certificate Authority From the dropdown list, select the certificate authority to request the certificate enrollment. Note: The IDnomic CA can be used for issuing certificates only in an on-prem deployment. Certificates issued through IDnomic CA can be renewed only if they are enrolled using a Registration Authority workflow.*Renew Automatically Note:To automatically renew this certificate:- If the Override feature is enabled for the certificate group selected from the Assign Group dropdown list, auto renew settings done in the enrollment page will be overwritten by the group level settings.
- If Regenerate Automatically has been enabled for the selected certificate group, the Renew Automatically field is not displayed here.
- Turn on the Renew
Automatically toggle.
The *Start Renewing field is displayed.
- In the Days Before Expiry field, specify
how many days prior to a certificate's expiry the
renewal process should start.
Valid range for number of days: 1 to 120
Note: The auto renew settings from the parent certificate will be transferred to the child certificate only if the toggle was enabled; they will not transfer if the certificate was renewed manually. After migration, these settings will be disabled for the parent certificate, so enable them manually if needed.*Regenerate Automatically To automatically regenerate this certificate: - Turn on the Regenerate Automatically
toggle.
The *Start Regenerating field is displayed.
- In the Days Before Expiry field, specify
how many days prior to a certificate's expiry the
regeneration process should start.
Valid range for number of days: 1 to 120
Note: This value can exceed the certificate's validity in case of short-lived certificates.
Note:- This feature can be enabled only for valid certificates (not for revoked/suspended and expired certificates).
- The auto regenerate settings from the parent certificate will be transferred to the child certificate only if the toggle was enabled; they will not transfer if the certificate was regenerated manually. After migration, these settings will be disabled for the parent certificate, so enable them manually if needed.
*Re-enroll Automatically To automatically regenerate this certificate: - Turn on the Re-enroll Automatically
toggle.
The *Start Re-enrollng field is displayed.
- In the Days Before Expiry field, specify
how many days prior to a certificate's expiry the
regeneration process should start.
Valid range for number of days: 1 to 120
Note: This value can exceed the certificate's validity in case of short-lived certificates.
Note: User overrides are allowed unless Group Override is active, in which case the group's configuration takes precendence.*CA Account From the dropdown list, select the CA account to which the certificate enrollment request will be submitted. Certificate Type From the dropdown list, select the required certificate type. *Division Note: This field is applicable only for Digicert CA.From the dropdown list, select the division with which the certificate will be enrolled.Certificate Profile Note: This field is displayed for only selected CAs. For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed when only-CA setting is selected from the CA Account dropdown list.From the dropdown list, select the certificate profile with which the certificate must enroll.
*RA Workflow Note: This field is displayed when Certificate Authority = IDnomic and a RA setting is selected from the CA Accounts dropdown list.From the dropdown list, select the RA workflow that will be used for certificate enrollment.For the details of a workflow, you can check them on your CA portal on IDnomic.
*Issuer Location Note: This field is applicable only for Google CA.From the dropdown list, select the issuer location associated with the CA account.
*Issuer Name Note: This field is applicable only for Google CA and AppViewX PKIaaS Native.From the dropdown list, select the issuer name for issuing the certificate.
Template Name Note: This field will be displayed only when Certificate Authority = AppViewX Native CA.Select a template name from the dropdown list.
Template Name is editable. The selected template will be displayed in the Template/Profile column of the Server Certificate Inventory irrespective of the Managed/Monitor status. You can also search and filter certificates based on the template name within the CERT+ Inventory.
*Issuance Policy Note: This field is applicable only for Futurex.From the dropdown list, select the issuing policy for this certificate.An issuance policy defines the rules Futurex must follow to process the certificate enrollment request. The selected issuance policy will determine the approval requirements for the certificate, the cryptographic settings, notification triggeres and other configuration parameters.
*Root CA Note: This field is applicable only for Futurex.From the dropdown list, select the root CA for the certificate being enrolled.This is the trusted root certificate authority that anchors the certificate chain. All issued certificates will ultimately chain up to this root.
*Signing CA Note: This field is applicable only for Futurex.From the dropdown list, select the Certificate Authority that will sign the requested certificate.*Extension Profiles Note: This field is applicable only for Futurex.Extension profiles enable you to further modify your certificates with additional field, attributes, and requirements.From the dropdown list, select the extension profile that will be used for the certificate being enrolled.
To read more on and for instructions to create extension profiles, refer the Futurex documentation. For links, see the References section.
*Approval Group Name Note: This field is applicable only for Futurex.An approval group is a predefined set of users or roles authorized to approve the certificate enrollment request.From the dropdown list, select the approval group to authorize this enrollment request.
To read more on and for instructions to create and manage approval groups, refer the Futurex documentation. For links, see the References section.
*Connector Name Enter a friendly name for the CA connector. On saving this form, the name entered here will be displayed in the holistic view.
Description Note: Character limit: 2000 charactersEnter the description in this field.
*CSR Generation Note: This field is applicable for all CAs except Amazon.From the following options, select the required method for generating the CSR:
- AppViewX: Private key and
CSR will be created in AppViewX based on CSR
parameters given.Note: If auto regeneration has been enabled for this cerificate, AppViewX can be enforced as the default CSR generation source (irrespective of any selections made here) every time the certificate is regenerated. To do this, execute the following db script:
db.cert_metadata.insertOne({"_id":"CERT_AUTO_REGENERATE_DEFAULT_APPVIEWX_CSR", "flag":true}) - Upload CSR: You can
upload a file that contains the CSR details. This
source file will be used to populate the CSR
parameters, which will then be submitted to the
CA.
- Under CSR Generation, select Upload
CSR.
The Please paste your CSR field is displayed.
- From the Please paste your CSR field, select Browse.
- Navigate to the location of your CSR file, and click Open.
- Click Upload.
On successful upload of this file, the CSR fields are populated with the corresponding details.
- Under CSR Generation, select Upload
CSR.
- HSM: Note: This option is disabled/not displayed when Certificate Authority = Google, CSC Global, and DigiCert One.To generate the private key and the CSR, based on the CSR parameters given in an HSM device:
- Under CSR Generation, select HSM.
- To enter the configuration details for CSR generation, refer the field descriptions given here.
- End
Point: Note: This option is disabled when Certificate Authority = Google and CSC Global.To generate the private key and the CSR, based on the CSR parameters given in an endpoint device:
- Under CSR Generation, select End Point.
- To enter the configuration details for CSR generation, refer the field descriptions given here.
*: Mandatory fields Table 12. Field descriptions for using HSM as the CSR generation source Field Description *Device Type From the dropdown list, from the following options, select the type of device on which the private key and the CSR will be generated: - HSM Devices (AppViewX will directly communicate with the HSM device for the CSR generation.)
- ADC Devices (The selected ADC device will interact with the HSM to generate the CSR and subsequently transmit the relevant details to AppViewX.)
*Vendors This field is displayed only when Device Type = ADC Devices. From the dropdown list, select the required ADC device vendor.
Module Number This field is displayed when Device Type = ADC Devices and Vendors = Thales. In the event that multiple HSMs are configured on a system, module number is a unique identifier assigned to each HSM.
In this field, enter the module number assigned to the selected Thales device.*Devices From the dropdown list, select the required HSM/ADC device. This field is populated based on the Device Type and Vendors selected.
- For Device Type = HSM
Devices
The dropdown list is populated with HSM devices that were enabled for CSR generation at the time of onboarding and have been successfully onboarded. To read more on onboarding HSM devices in AppViewX, click here.
- For Device Type = ADC
Devices
The dropdown list is populated with F5 devices that are in the Managed state.
Currently, AppViewX enables HSM key generation only through F5 devices for the following HSM vendors and their respective supported versions:- Fortanix (v14 and onwards)
- Thales (v12 and onwards)
- Safenet (v12 and onwards)
*Key Handler Name This field is displayed when Device Type = HSM Devices. Key handler name refers to an identifier used to reference a cryptographic key managed by an HSM device.
Enter the desired handler name in the field.*Key Reference Name This field is displayed when Device Type = ADC Devices. Key reference name refers to an identifier used to reference a private key that is stored locally on an ADC device or is securely accessible to the device via an external HSM.
In this field, enter the reference name assigned to the private key stored in/accessible to the selected ADC device.Table 13. Field descriptions for using an endpoint device as the CSR generation source Field Description Category From the following options, select the ADC device category: - ADC
- Cloud
- Server
- WAF
- Firewall
Note:- Run the following script to enable endpoint
CSR generation support for
GlobalSignAtlas:
db.getCollection('cert_metadata').insertOne({ "_id": "CSR_GENERATION_ENDPOINT_SUPPORTED_VENDOR_GLOBALSIGNATLAS", "objectMap": { "Server": [ "ABAP", "Web Dispatcher" ] } }); - On selecting GlobalSignAtlas CA, Category is automatically populated as Server.
Vendor The dropdown list for this field is populated based on the Category selected. From the dropdown list, select the vendor for the end point device. Note:- On selecting GlobalSignAtlas CA, Vendor is populated with ABAP and Web Dispatcher.
*Devices This field lists the end point devices present in your environment that belong to the above selected Category and Vendor. From the dropdown list, select the end point device on which you want to generate the private key and the CSR.Note: On selecting Vendor = Fortinet, both Fortigate and FortiManager devices are populated. Auto-regeneration of certificates with FortiManager as endpoint is not supported.*Profile This field is applicable only when Category = Server/WAF. Select a profile from the dropdown list. Note: On selection of Vendor = Imperva, CSR generation at the endpoint is supported only for SaaS platforms. Profiles will not be displayed for AWS/on-prem deployments.*Tenant This field is applicable only when Category = AD. Enter the tenant ID. *Service name From the dropdown list, select the cloud service running on the selected cloud Devices. CSR Location This field is applicable only when Category = Server. *Template Name This field is applicable only when Category = Firewall. Select the required template from the dropdown list.
Note:- This field will be enabled when the Platform = Panorama while onboading PaloAlto device at Menu > CERT+ > Device Management > Inventory> Firewall > Add.
- Templates and partitions are used to enroll certificates at the template level. To enroll a certificate at the Panorama level, set the template to None.
Partition This field is applicable only when Category = Firewall. *CSR File Name Enter the name of the file that contains the CSR parameters. Note:- As the extension is already included in the field, ensure that you enter the file name without the file extension.
- Starting v2023.1.0 FP2, for enrolling Apache server certificates, this field is labeled as CSR File Location.
*Key File Name Enter the name of the file that contains the private key details. Note:- As the extension is already included in the field, ensure that you enter the file name without the file extension.
- Starting v2023.1.0 FP2, for enrolling Apache server certificates, this field is labeled as Key File Location.
*Certificate File Name This field is displayed only when Category = Cloud. Enter the certificate file name. *Key vault This field is displayed only when Category = Cloud, Vendor = Azure, and Service name = Key Vault (Azure). *Service Note: This field is displayed when Category = Server and Vendor = Microsoft Server.This dropdown list is populated based on the Device selected.From the options in the dropdown list, select the service.
*Exchange Server Note: This field is displayed when Category = Server and Vendor = Microsoft Server.From the dropdown list, select the name of the MS Exchange server for which the certificate is being enrolled. -
For the EJBCA certificate authority, enter the vendor details.
Table 14. Field descriptions for the EJBCA Vendor Specific Details section Field Description * End Entity Profile Name From the dropdown list, select the end entity profile name. End entity user name Enter the name of the end user entity. * Issuer Common Name From the dropdown list, select the issuer common name. *Certificate Profile Name From the dropdown list, select the certificate profile name. *: Mandatory fields Note: When generating a new private key on an endpoint, existing keys (including .txt encrypted key files) are not overwritten immediately.- For non–password-protected certificate types (PEM-.crt, PEM-.cer, PEM-.pem, DER-.der, DER-.cer, PKCS7-.p7b, PKCS7-.p7c), the .txt file is decrypted into the original key filename (keyfile.key) during the push. If a key with the same name already exists, it will be replaced.
- For password-protected certificate types (Default
JKS-.jks, JKS-.keystore, PKCS12-.p12, PKCS12-.pfx):
- During the push , the encrypted .txt file is decrypted into a temporary, timestamped key file (keyfile_.key).
- This decrypted key is then combined with the certificate
to create the final bundled output (e.g.,
.pfx,.jks). - After bundling, the temporary timestamped key file is deleted; Because the decrypted key file is temporary and timestamped, no key replacement occurs, and no existing key files are overwritten.
This is currently applicable for:- Linux vendors - Generic Linux, Apache Linux, Tomcat Linux, and Nginx Linux.
- Windows vendors - Windows Apache, Windows Tomcat, and Microsoft SQL.
-
For the certificate being enrolled, enter the CSR Parameters.
Note: For DigiCert One, all CSR parameters that are assigned static values in the certificate profile will be auto-populated and disabled for editing.
Table 15. Field descriptions for the CSR Parameters Field Description Replace PSE File The Replace PSE File checkbox enables users to generate the CSR or private key in the Server. This checkbox is displayed only in the case described below: - Select the CSR Generation radio button as Endpoint.
- Select Category as Server, Vendor as ABAP or Web Dispatcher The Profiles dropdown is the only other field displayed below it and is populated with a list of .pse file names.
- Select the required Profile from the dropdown. Based on the values selected, the fields in the CSR Parameters section are auto-populated.
The Replace PSE File checkbox is disabled by default and the SAN details fields in CSR Parameters section are also disabled. Selecting the checkbox will make the SAN details enabled and allow for values to be updated.
*Common Name Enter the certificate's common name. The common name is one of the key values of Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to be present in the certificate. For example, <appviewx>.
Note: Constraints:- Character limit: 64 characters
- No special characters allowed except en dash (_) and hyphen (-).
- For VMware vCenter, enter the device's FQDN to avoid certificates being rejected. If left blank, the FQDN will be auto-detected and populated.
Subject Alternative Name From the dropdown list, select the Subject Alternative Name category for the certificate being enrolled. In the corresponding field(s) displayed for the selection made, enter the required values.
Note:- Multiple values must be separated by a comma.
- After enrollment, the cumulative count of SANs is displayed in the certificate property pop-up window from the holistic view.
- For VMWare vCenter, enter the device's FQDN to avoid certificates being rejected. If left blank, the FQDN will be auto-detected and populated.
DNS Mutiple SAN values must be separated by a comma (,). Organization The organization name is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note: For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.Organization Unit Organization Unit name is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note: For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.Locality The locality name is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note: For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.State The state name is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note: For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.Country Country name is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on configuration. It must be a 2-letter country code (for example, US, and so on). Note:- For renewal of the certificate being enrolled, country name is required.
- For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.
Email Address Enter a valid email address of the person responsible for maintaining the certificate. Note: For VMWare vCenter, this is a mandatory field.*Validity To specify the validity of the certificate being enrolled: - From the first dropdown list, select the number of days/months/years.
- From the second dropdown list, select the unit
of the duration from the following values:
Days/Months/Year.For example, if the validity of the certificate is 2 months:
- From the first dropdown list, select 2.
- From the second dropdown list, select Months.
Note: The uploaded certificate validity for Globalsign MSSL is set to 365 days.Challenge Password Challenge password is one of the CSR parameters to be present in the certificate. Password must contain at least one alphabet (uppercase and lowercase), one number, and one special character. Confirm Password Re-enter the password entered in the Challenge Password field. *Hash Function The Hash function with which the CSR has to be signed. Any information specific to any CA or vendor has to be covered in the Note section. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note: For Certificate Authority = HydrantID, irrespective of the hash function selected, by default, the CA returns a certificate with SHA256. Therefore, admins must restrict users from creating a certificate with a hash function other than SHA256. To accomplish this, create policy with a single hash value (SHA256).*Key Type The key type is used while creating a private and public key pair. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. Note:- FortiManager supports only RSA key type of 512, 1024, 1536, 2048, 3072, 4096 bits.
- VMWare supports only RSA of 2048, 3072, 4096, 7680, 8192 bits and EC key type.
*Bit Length The bit length is used while creating a private and public key pair. This field will be auto-filled and editable based on the configuration in the selected group’s policy. *: Mandatory fields -
In the Attachments section, upload any additional documents that are
relevant to the enrollment of the certificate (for example, approval
emails).
Table 16. Field descriptions for the Attachments section Field Description Name Enter a name for the document. This need not be the actual name of the document; it can be an alternate name that will be used for reference only. Comments Enter any details relevant to the document being attached. Note: Character limit: 2000 charactersUpload File To upload an attachment: - Click Upload.
- Navigate to the location of the document to be uploaded.
- Select the document to be document and click
Open.
The selected document is uploaded and listed in the table displayed below these fields in the Attachments section.
Tip: If you have uploaded multiple attachments, use the Search field to find the required one.
*: Mandatory fields -
In the Certificate Attributes section, enter organization-specific
values, for the certificate attributes and custom attributes for the issuing
CA, that need to be mentioned along with the CSR.
These values will not be a part of the certificate but will be available in the AppViewX inventory. For example, cost center.Note: This additional information can be used to filter certificate details in the inventory.
-
Enter the relevant details in the Generic Fields. These are default
fields for maintaining the IP address and device information, if
required.
Table 17. Field descriptions for the Generic Fields Field Description Device Name Enter the name of the device. Application IP Address Enter the IP address of the application. Tracking ID A free-form business alpha-numerical identifier, included in the audit logs, that may be used to correlate audit log entries (typically enrollment and revocation events) Certificate holder Email Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).An email address that may be used to send notifications to certificate holder depending on the notification policies configured for the requested workflowFirst name Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).First name (as a metadata) associated with the certificate to be enrolledLast name Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).Last name (as a metadata) associated with the certificate to be enrolledOrganization Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).Organization name (as a metadata) associated with the certificate to be enrolledComment Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).Additional information (as a metadata) associated with the certificate to be enrolledUUID Note: For the IDnomic CA, this field is displayed only when the selected CA account has been configured using a Registration Authority (RA).Universal Unique Identifier, or UUID, (as a metadata) associated with the certificate to be enrolled -
In the Vendor-Specific Details section, enter the
CA-specific details. Some of the CAs will expect additional details other
than CSR parameters as meta data for their operational purposes. Details
common to all CAs will be taken from the AppViewX user information of the
logged in user.
Table 18. Field descriptions for the common vendor specific details Field Description Certificate ID The Certificate ID is auto-populated based on the value entered in the Common Name field (in the CSR Parameters section). - The Certificate ID can be modified by the user.
- If the user edits the Certificate ID, any change to the Common Name will not reflect in the Certificate ID.
- If the user deletes the Certificate ID, the value of the Certificate ID field is set to the Common Name suffixed with the timestamp.
Table 19. Field descriptions for the CSC Global CA vendor specific details Field Description *Server Type From the dropdown list, select the server on which the application that requires the requested certificate is hosted. *Business Unit Enter the name of the business unit that is requesting the certificate. *Organization Contact Enter the email address of the contact in the organization requesting the certificate. *Phone Number Enter the phone number of the Organization Contact in the followung format: +<country code>-<phone number>. Note: For CSC Global, the phone number is not fetched from the AppViewX user information because of the difference in format.*Domain Control Validation Type From the following options in the dropdown list, select the method CSC Global will use for authentication before issuing a certificate: - EMAIL: CSC Global will send an approval/confirmation request to the registered email ID. Certificate issuance happens only after approval is received.
- CNAME: On requesting certificate issuance, CSC Global will provide you with a dynamic string. Add a CNAME record with this string to your DNS settings. CSC will issue the certificate requested only after validating this CNAME record.
Note: CSC Global will perform domain validation for all CLM actions.*: Mandatory fields Table 20. Field descriptions for the Custom CA vendor specific details Field Description *CRL and OCSP required To control the inclusion of CRL and OCSP settings, turn this toggle button on/off as required. *: Mandatory fields Table 21. Field descriptions for the DigiCert CA vendor specific details Field Description *Server Type From the dropdown list, select the server on which the application that requires the requested certificate is hosted. *Payment Method From the dropdown list, select one from the following payment methods: - Bill To Account Balance:
This option allows you to pay for the DigiCert
certificate using the available balance in your
DigiCert account.Note: Ensure that the option to bill to account balance is enabled for the account and the account has sufficient balance.
- Bill To Default Credit
Card: This option will charge the cost
of the DigiCert certificate to the credit card set
as the default payment method in your DigiCert
account.Note: Ensure that a credit card is configured as the default payment method for your account.
Additional Email Enter email addresses that will receive notifications for renewals, reissues, and duplicates for the specified order. Renewal Message Enter a custom message that will be sent with the renewal notifications. Notes Enter a custom note that will be sent with the order. *: Mandatory fields Table 22. Field descriptions for the DigiCert One CA vendor specific details Field Description Seat ID Enter the seat ID that will be assigned to the certificate being enrolled. Seat ID is a unique user-defined value assigned to identify an entity in the DigiCert One account. The seat ID for a certificate is used for certificate enrollment, renewal, and regeneration.Note: The Seat ID field is displayed only if the Allow Seat ID during enrollment option is selected for the CA account. In this case, the value entered in the Seat ID field is now a unique identifier for the certificate being enrolled. Otherwise, a common seat ID is assigned to all certificates enrolled for the selected CA accountTable 23. Field descriptions for the GlobalSign MSSL CA vendor specific details Field Description *Profile name A profile name is defined at the time of creating an account on the GlobalSign MSSL portal. AppViewX retrieves all your profile names from the GlobalSign MSSL portal and populates them in this dropdown list. From the dropdown list, select the profile name the enrolled certificate should be mapped to.
*: Mandatory fields Table 24. Field descriptions for the Hydrant ID CA vendor specific details Field Description Expiry Emails Enter a comma-separated list of email addresses that will receive the certificate expiry notification from HydrantID. Note: HydrantID CA does not accept updates to these email addresses during the renewal process.Table 25. Field descriptions for the Nexus CA vendor specific details Field Description Procedures The Procedures dropdown list will display only the procedures mapped to the server and the default procedure. From the dropdown list, select the required procedure. Table 26. Field descriptions for the LetsEncrypt CA vendor specific details Field Description *Challenge Type Specifies the method for verifying domain ownership. Select the required domain for the validation. The available challenge types are: - HTTP
- DNS.
Challenge Verify Determines how the DNS challenge will be verified. Select the required verification process. The available challenge verifies are: - Manual
- Automatic.
Note: This field appears when the challenge type is selected as DNS.Vendor Indicates the DNS provider responsible for managing DNS records. The available DNS service providers are: - Cloudflare
- Azure.
Note: This field appears when the challenge verify is selected as Automatic.*Settings Allows for additional configuration settings related to the DNS challenge. The selected value None implies that no extra settings are applied. Note: This field appears when the challenge verify is selected as Automatic.Note:- Make sure that you have enabled LetsEncrypt DNS Automation from the workflow.
- To add new vendors for the integration and configuration, refer to Integration topic in the Automation Guide.
*: Mandatory fields -
Click Add.
Once the details are added, you will be redirected to a page where the CSR and CA details are added as a connector. This page is called the holistic view and from here, any action on the certificate can be performed including provisioning the certificate to a server.
-
On the holistic view, click the Submit button to
trigger the request.
The submit action is triggered and the Submit dialog box is displayed.
-
Enter your comments in the text field and click Yes.
If the approval required option is enabled in the CA policy, the request is moved to the Approve and Implementation stages.
-
Click Approve to proceed.
The Approve dialog box is displayed.
-
Enter your comments in the text field.
Note: If the workflow request has to be approved automatically in the future, click the Schedule later button .
-
Click Yes.
Once the approval process is complete, the Implement option is displayed in the holistic view.
-
Click Implement.
The Implement dialog box is displayed.
-
Enter your comments in the text field.
If the workflow request has to be implemented automatically in the future, click Schedule later .
-
Click Yes.
CSR Submission to CA is in progress.Once the CSR submission is successful, the request state will be changed to Submit certificate - retrieval in progress state.
If the enrollment request is compliant with conditions defined and auto-approval enabled in the targeted CA, the certificate will be fetched in a few seconds.
If auto-approval disabled in the targeted CA, you will have to be logged into the CA and approve the request.
Once the certificate is issued successfully, the certificate will be retrieved into AppViewX. You can now push the enrolled certificate(s) to the required endpoint.
Adding and Pushing Certificates to Microsoft IIS Device
Adding an Application Connector for Microsoft IIS
-
On the certificate holistic view, click Add
Connector.
-
Enter the General Information for the connector.
Table 27. Field descriptions for the connector General Information Field Description *Category From the dropdown list, select Server. If the certificate being pushed was enrolled with CSR generation at endpoint, this field is auto populated with the category selected at the time of certificate enrollment.
*Vendor From the dropdown list, select IIS. If the certificate being pushed was enrolled with CSR generation at endpoint, this field is auto populated with the vendor selected at the time of certificate enrollment.
*Connector Name Enter a name for this connector, to be able to identify it later. Tip: AppViewX recommends naming connectors according to use cases so they are easily distinguishable.Description Enter any additional details you want to record for this connector. *Push Certificate Type Select from the following options: - Push Certificate
You can only push certificates to the Certificate store or Centralized File System.
- Push and Bind Certificate
You can push a certificate to the Certificate store and bind it to the IIS site.
Based on the information entered here, the Server selection section is populated with the list of available IIS devices already onboarded in AppViewX. - Push Certificate
-
To select the device(s) to which the certificate will be pushed, under
Server selection, from the list of Available Devices, click
.
The Selected devices list is updated automatically. -
Enter the Certificate Details.
Table 28. Field descriptions for the Certificate Details Field Description Location Type From the following options, select where the certificate to be pushed is located: - Certificate Store: A repository that stores certificates and their associated keys
- Centralized file system: A file server that stores certificate files
Certificate Store This option is displayed only when Location Type = Certificate Store. Within the certificate store, select the location where the certificates are stored from the following options:
- Personal store: A location where user-specific certificates, such as those used for encryption and authentication, are stored
- Web hosting store: A location where certificates used for web server configurations are stored
*Friendly name Enter the certificate friendly name assigned in the CSR generated for requesting/enrolling the certificate Push Root and Intermediate Certificates To push the root and intermediate certificates, along with the end certificate, select this checkbox. *Bind type Note: This field is displayed when the Push Certificate Type is selected as Push and Bind Certificate.To manage the SSL/TLS certificates for websites, select a bind type from the following options:
- Update Certificate Only: Update the SSL/TLS certificate used by an existing site binding on the web server. It replaces the current certificate with a new one without modifying any other settings associated with the site binding (such as the hostname or port).
- Update Site Binding: Update the SSL/TLS settings for an existing site binding on the web server. It allows you to update not only the certificate but also other settings associated with the site binding, such as the hostname, port, and SSL/TLS protocol settings.
- Create New Site Binding: Create a new site binding on the web server for the specified hostname, port, and IP address (if applicable) and associates it with the specified SSL/TLS certificate. This is typically used when you want to add a new website or domain to the web server and configure SSL/TLS settings for it.
Note:When pushing certificates , the system now automatically selects the appropriate PKCS12 encryption algorithm based on the target Windows Server version:
- Windows Server 2016 and earlier: Uses TripleDES encryption for compatibility
- Windows Server 2019 and later: Uses the encryption algorithm from General Settings
-
Enter the Push Details.
Table 29. Field descriptions for the Push Details Field Description *Script Location Script files are commonly used to perform certain tasks required to be completed before and/or after a certificate is pushed to the target system. The script to be run before the certificate is pushed is called a pre-push script and the script to be run after the push is called a post-push script.
From the following options, select the location of the script file(s):
- In AppViewX
- In Device
Pre - Push Script File Name Enter the file name of the pre-push script. Important: Read the pre and push script usage instructions here.Pre - Push Script File Path This field is displayed when Script Location = In Device. Enter the location on your local system where the pre-push script file is stored.Important: Read the pre and push script usage instructions here.Post - Push Script File Name Enter the file name of the post push script. Important: Read the pre and push script usage instructions here.Post - Push Script File Path This field is displayed when Script Location = In Device. Enter the location on your local system where the post-push script file is stored.Important: Read the pre and push script usage instructions here.Overwrite The Overwrite option is used to specify if existing certificates on the target system will be overwritten with the certificate being pushed. If this option is enabled, the certificate being pushed will overwrite any existing certificates with the same identifier on the target system. This will also ensure that only the latest version of the certificate is available on the target system.
If it is disabled, the push operation will fail in the event of conflicts with the certificates on the target system.
Note: Overwrite option is disabled by default for Microsoft IIS.Push Automatically To automatically push the certificate after it is renewed/reissued to the target system, enable this checkbox. Note: The auto push feature for a certificate works only if enabled for the certificate application connector as well the associated certificate group. To enable this feature at the certificate group level, refer the instructions here.Secure Push The Secure Push option ensures that the certificate is pushed to the target system securely, protected from any unauthorized access. -
Click Save.
The connector is displayed on the certificate holistic view.
Pushing a Server Certificate to a Device
-
Go to
(Menu) > CERT+ > CERTIFICATE ACTION >
Push to Device > Server.
The Server Certificate page is displayed. -
To push a certificate, under Common Name, click the required certificate.
The certificate topology view is displayed.
-
Click Push to Device. The Push to Device option will be shown if
the app connector is already added to the certificate otherwise add the app connector and
then proceed.
Note:
- Only server certificates that include their private keys will be eligible for push
operations to cloud connectors.
After push, during subsequent discovery, when the CC machine is healthy and discovery returns the pushed certificate, the pushed AppConnector should be in Sync status, else the associated AppConnector must be transitioned to an Out of Sync status.
If a new certificate is pushed to the gateway while the old certificate for the AppConnector still exists in the inventory, then after the next discovery, the AppConnector must move to Out of Sync status for the old certificate.
- Endpoint CSR generation is not supported for cloud connectors.
- The Push to Device option is displayed only after an app connector is added to certificate.
The Confirmation dialog box is displayed. - Only server certificates that include their private keys will be eligible for push
operations to cloud connectors.
- Enter your comments, if required, in the text field.
-
Click OK.
- The approval process is triggered. The current flow is based on the default policy of two-level approvals.
- A request ID and work order ID are generated automatically and the work order status is displayed alongside the connector in the certificate topology view.
- To approve the push request, from the certificate topology view, click Approve.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box:
- In the Manual Implementation field, to choose the mode of implementation, use the On/Off toggle.
- If you select Off, set the date and time to schedule the certificate push.
- Enter your comments in the text field and click Yes.
The work order status displayed beside the connector updates to Push-Review In Progress. - To implement the push request, from the certificate topology view, click Implement.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box:
- In the Manual Implementation field, to choose the mode of implementation, use the On/Off toggle.
- If you select Off, set the date and time to schedule the certificate push.
- Enter your comments in the text field and click Yes.
The push action is triggered. After the push action is completed, the status updates to Completed.To refresh the certificate topology view, from the top-right corner of the screen, click Refresh.An automatic HTTPS-based verification job is run at regular intervals to validate that certificates are correctly installed after the push operations triggered between the intervals; the system compares served certificates with the expected ones across all associated IP:ports. The data gathered by this job is used to create the Push Validation Report that highlights the proportion of successful versus failed push operations, providing a quick view of overall push reliability.
Pushing a Client Certificate to a Device
-
Go to
(Menu) > CERT+ > CERTIFICATE ACTION >
Push to Device > Client.
The Client Certificate page is displayed. -
To push a certificate, under Common Name, double click the required
certificate.
The certificate topology view is displayed.
-
Click Push to Device. The Push to Device option will be shown if
the app connector is already added to the certificate otherwise add the app connector and
then proceed.
Note: The Push to Device option is displayed only after an app connector is added to certificate.The Confirmation dialog box is displayed.
- Enter your comments, if required, in the text field.
-
Click OK.
- The approval process is triggered. The current flow is based on the default policy of two-level approvals.
- A request ID and work order ID are generated automatically and the work order status is displayed alongside the connector in the certificate topology view.
- To approve the push request, from the certificate topology view, click Approve.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box:
- In the Manual Implementation field, to choose the mode of implementation, use the On/Off toggle.
- If you select Off, set the date and time to schedule the certificate push.
- Enter your comments in the text field and click Yes.
The work order status displayed beside the connector updates to Push-Review In Progress. - To implement the push request, from the certificate topology view, click Implement.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box:
- In the Manual Implementation field, to choose the mode of implementation, use the On/Off toggle.
- If you select Off, set the date and time to schedule the certificate push.
- Enter your comments in the text field and click Yes.
The push action is triggered. After the push action is completed, the status updates to Completed.An automatic HTTPS-based verification job is run at regular intervals to validate that certificates are correctly installed after the push operations triggered between the intervals; the system compares served certificates with the expected ones across all associated IP:ports. The data gathered by this cron job is used to update the Push Validation Report that highlights the proportion of successful versus failed push operations, providing a quick view of overall push reliability.
Enabling Auto Renewal of Certificates
-
To enable auto renewal for the certificate group:
-
To enable auto renewal for the certificate connector:
Enabling Auto Regeneration of Certificates
Enabling Auto Regeneration for a Certificate Group
You can enable and configure the auto regeneration feature at the certificate group level, which will apply to all certificates assigned to that group.
For details and instructions to enable auto regeneration at the certificate group level, click here.
Enabling Auto Regeneration at the Certificate Level
Enabling Auto Regenerate for Certificate Enrollment
For details and instructions to enable auto regeneration at the time of server certificate enrollment, click here.
Enabling Auto Regenerate for Discovered Certificates
-
Go to Menu > CERT+ >
Certificate Inventory >
Server.
The Server Certificate inventory is displayed.
-
From the inventory, for the certificate you want to enable auto push
for, click the common name.
The holistic view of the selected certificate is displayed.
-
For an existing CA connector for the certificate, hover over
.
-
From the menu displayed, click Edit.
The certificate details are displayed.
- Under CA Details, turn on the Regenerate Automatically toggle.
- In the Start Regenerating field, enter the number of days before expiration when the certificate should be regenerated.
-
Click Update.
The holistic view of the selected certificate is displayed.Note: For the auto regenerate process to take effect, set the auto push in the application connector. Refer to the Enabling Auto Push section.
Enabling Auto Push of Certificates to Endpoints
To enable auto push of certificates, you need to enable the corresponding option for the group to which the certificate in question belongs, as well as the connector created for that certificate.
-
To enable auto push for the certificate group:
-
To enable auto push for the certificate connector:

(Calendar widget)
to select a date to start the scheduled
discovery.