Web-based System Manager Administration Guide

Using Ready-to-Go Key Ring Files

Using the Ready-to-Go Key Ring Files is usually the fastest way to get into security operational state. In this scenario, use a single machine to define an internal CA (Certificate Authority) and generate ready-to-go key ring files for all of your Web-based System Manager servers and clients. This generates a public key ring file that you must copy to all of the servers and clients as well as a unique private key ring file for each server.

The following steps describe how to use Ready-to-Go Key Ring Files:

1. Define an Internal Web-based System Manager Certificate Authority.

   You should use a safe system for the CA because its private key is the most sensitive data in the Web-based System Manager security configuration.

   Note
   Do not use diskless or dataless workstations as Certificate Authorities, because the private key would be transferred over the network.

   After the CA machine is chosen, log in locally as the root user and start Web-based System Manager. The security configuration applications of Web-based System Manager are not accessible if you are not logged in as the root user or if you are running Web-based System Manager in remote application or applet mode.

   Select Management Environment --> hostname --> System Manager Security --> Certificate Authority.

   On the task list for Certificate Authority, select Configure this system as a Web-based System Manager Certificate Authority. When the wizard opens, fill in the following information:

   • Certificate Authority distinguished name
     Type a descriptive name that helps you identify the CA machine and the instance of the CA; for example, the machine's host name plus a sequence number. Blanks are permitted in the name. If you redefine the CA, use a different sequence number so you will be able to determine which instance of the CA a certificate is signed by. The name should not be exactly the same as the full TCP/IP name, as this will not work with the SMGate daemon.
     
   • Organization name
     Type a descriptive name that identifies your company or your organization.
     
   • ISO country code or region code
     Type your two-character ISO country code or region code or select it from the list.
     
   • Expiration date
     After the certificate expires, reconfigure Web-based System Manager security by redefining the CA and generating new private key ring files for all of your servers. You can change this date or accept the default value.
     
   • Public key ring directory
     The public key ring containing the CA's certificate is written to this directory. Copy this file to the Web-based System Manager codebase directory on all of the Web-based System Manager servers and clients.
     
   • Password
     The CA's private key ring file is encrypted with this password. You need to type this password each time you perform a task on this CA.

   You can also define an internal CA from the command line with the /usr/websm/bin/smdefca command.



2. Generate Private Key Ring Files for Your Web-based System Manager Servers.

   Provide the full TCP/IP names of all of your Web-based System Manager servers.

   On the task list for Certificate Authority, select Generate Servers' Private Key Ring Files. In the CA password dialog, type the password that you specified when you defined the CA. Then fill in the following information:

   • List of servers
     Add the names of your Web-based System Manager servers to the list. You can type them in the dialog one at a time, or you can provide a file containing a list of your servers, one per line. To get the server names from the file, type the file name in the File containing list of servers entry field and click the Browse file button. Use the Browse Server List File dialog to select some or all of the servers in the list.
     
   • Organization name
     Type a descriptive name that identifies your company or your organization.
     
   • ISO country code or region code
     Type your two-character ISO country code or region code or select it from the list.
     
   • Location for private key ring files
     Enter the directory where you want the server private key ring files written. Later, you need to distribute them to the servers and install them.
     
   • Length in bits of server keys
     Select a key length.
     Note
     This field displays only if you have the sysmgt.websm.security-us fileset installed.
     
     
   • Expiration date
     After the certificate expires, you need to generate new private key ring files for your servers. You can change this date or accept the default.
     
   • Encrypt the server private key ring files
     This dialog creates a private key ring file for each server that you specified. Each private key ring file contains the private key of a server and must always be kept protected. You can protect the private key ring files by encrypting them. If you select this option, you are prompted for a password, which you need when you install the private key rings on the servers.
     

   When you click OK, a private key ring file is created for each server that you specified.

   You can also generate public key ring files from the command line with the /usr/websm/bin/smgenprivkr command.



3. Distribute the Public Key Ring File (SM.pubkr) to All Servers and Clients.

   A copy of the CA public key ring file from the directory you specified in Step 1 must be placed on your Web-based System Manager servers and clients in the directory you chose during installation, similar to the following:

   • on an AIX client, use the /usr/websm/codebase directory
   • on a Windows client, use the Program Files\websm\codebase directory
   • on a Linux client, use the /opt/websm/codebase directory
   Note
   This file must be copied in a binary format.
   Note
   The content of this file is not secret. However, placing it on a client machine specifies which CA the client trusts. Thus, access to this file on the client machine should be limited. In applet mode, the client can trust the server to send over this file along with the applet itself, provided the HTTPS protocol is used.



4. Distribute the Private Key Ring Files to All Servers.

   Each server's private key ring file must be installed on the server.

   You can move the files to their targets in any secure way. Shared directory and diskette TAR methods are described here:

   • Shared directory: Place all of the key ring files on a shared directory (for example, NFS or DFS) accessible to each server.
     Note
     For this method, you should have chosen to encrypt the server private key ring files on the Generate Servers Private Key Ring Files dialog, because the files are transferred without encryption. It is also recommended that you restrict the access rights to the shared directory to the administrator.

   • Diskette TAR: Generate a diskette TAR containing all of the server private key ring files. The TAR archive should contain only the file names without the paths. To do this, change directories to the directory containing the server private key ring files and run the command tar -cvf /dev/fd0 *.privkr.

   Install the server private key rings on each server.

   1. Log on to each server as root user, start Web-based System Manager and select Management Environment --> hostname --> System Manager Security --> Server Security.
   2. From the task list, select Install the private key ring file for this server.
   3. Select the source for the server private key ring files. If using a diskette, select tar diskette.
   4. Insert the diskette.
   5. Click OK.

   If the key ring files are encrypted, you are asked for the password. The server's private key is installed in /var/websm/security/SM.privkr.

   Repeat this procedure on each server.

   You can also distribute private key ring files to all servers from the command line with the /usr/websm/bin/sminstkey command.