SSL newbie question...

[Jim]

I am new to this SSL game. I went through the Server Certificate Wizard and
created a certificate request. I am trying to make a web site using secure
sockets, which I have no experience with. Since I am just using SSL on my
local development machine, do I still have to get a certificate from
someplace like VeriSign or is there some way that I can issue one to myself?

 

[Brock Allen]

You either need to install CertificateServices on a machine and then make
that the one that signes your cert request, or you can go to VeriSign and
get a test cert. If you do the latter, be prepared to get lots of phone calls
from a sales person

 

[Jim]

I am running Windows XP. Is Certificate Services a server applet? I tried
using the Trial Certificate, but when I would go to set it up in IIS it tells
me that it could not find the request that is in the same directory. When I
click Browse I'm able to see all of my "cer" files. Any ideas?

 

[Brock Allen]

Running a CA requires a seperate install, and since this is a server-y sort
of thing I can't imagine XP will allow this. I don't have a XP machine handy
to test though. If you do have a server, then it's just part of the server
OS install options (so under Add/Remove programs then Windows Components).
Once it's installed then there's just a web page you go to to submit the
request and then an admin on that machine will have to grant the Cert.

 

[Dominick Baier [DevelopMentor]]

Hello Brock,

Certificate Services are part of Windows Server 2000/2003. Another approach
(for testing purposes) would be to use self signed certificates using makecert.exe
(included in .net).

I have some advice on how to create SSL certs on my blog.
http://www.leastprivilege.com/PermaLink.aspx?guid=f34680fd-a58d-43a7-ba6d-2d813814ee73