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How To Create an SSL Certificate Request file - CSR

Lance Molby
  • Updated

Applies To

  • Windchill PDMLink 11.0+

 

Description

  • SSL Certificates require a Certificate Request file (CSR) and a Certificate Key file (KEY)
  • This process generates the the CSR and the KEY

 

Resolution

Setup OPENSSL command

Everything with certificates uses the openssl command built into Apache, this requires an environment setting to see the openssl.cnf configuration file. Before performing the next steps,

    1. locate the openssl.cnf file - Usually located in the <Windchill>\HTTPServer\ssl folder

    2. From a Windchill shell command line in the following directory: <Windchill>\HTTPServer
      • Type: set OPENSSL_CONF=<Windchill>\HTTPServer\ssl\openssl.cnf
    3. navigate to <Windchill>\HTTPServer\bin
      • type: "openssl" in the command line to verify openssl works and get the openssl> prompt
      • type: "exit" to leave the openssl prompt
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Generate Certificate Request files CSR and KEY

From <Windchill>\HTTPServer\bin> type:

openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout server.key -out server.csr​

Enter values for the following prompts:

  • Country Name (2 letter code) [AU]:US
  • State or Province Name (full name) [Some-State]:Minnesota​
  • Locality Name (eg, city) []:Minneapolis​
  • Organization Name (eg, company) [Internet Widgits Pty Ltd]:Company Name, Inc.
  • Organizational Unit Name (eg, section) []: <optional - "Research And Development">
  • Common Name (eg, YOUR name) []: <website URL like ​ “windchillcompany.com”>
    • Note: change URL for different servers
  • Email Address []:user@company.com

This will generate two files in the <Windchill>\HTTPServer\bin folder:

From a Windows command line  in the following directory: <Windchill>\HTTPServer\bin

    1.  server.key 
    2.  server.csr

Sharing the CSR file with a Certificate Authority will generate the new certificate.

The KEY file is required for the new certificate to work.

 

Reference