To generate SSL certificate properties for the yourdomain.ac.ke domain on a Windows Server, you’ll typically use the IIS (Internet Information Services) Manager or the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to create a certificate request and install the certificate once it’s issued.

Here are the steps to create and request an SSL certificate for the domain yourdomain.ac.ke on Windows Server:

  1. Open the IIS Manager (for Windows Server with IIS installed)
  • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, and then type inetmgr and press Enter to open IIS Manager.
  1. Create a Certificate Request (CSR)
  • In IIS Manager, click on the Server name on the left panel (which is your server).
  • In the middle panel, double-click the Server Certificates icon under the IIS section.
  • On the right side, click Create Certificate Request.
  • The Certificate Request Wizard will open. Fill out the following information:

Common Name: yourdomain.ac.ke

    • This should be the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for which the certificate is requested.

Organization: The legal name of your organization (e.g., Yourdomain Ltd).

Organizational Unit: (Optional) A division or department within the organization (e.g., IT Department).

Locality: The city or locality where your organization is located (e.g., Nairobi).

State or Province: The state where your organization is located (e.g., Nairobi County).

Country: The two-letter country code (e.g., KE for Kenya).

  • Next, choose a Cryptographic Service Provider. Typically, you can select the Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider.
  • Set the Bit Length to 2048 bits (recommended for security).
  • After that, specify the file path to save the CSR file (e.g., C:\CSR_yourdomain.ac.ke.txt). This CSR file is what you’ll send to your SSL certificate provider to get the certificate issued.
  1. Submit the CSR to a Certificate Authority (CA)
  • Once you have generated the CSR file, you need to submit it to a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) such as:
    • Let’s Encrypt
    • DigiCert
    • GlobalSign
    • Comodo
    • GoDaddy
    • and others.

The CA will verify your domain ownership and issue the SSL certificate.

  1. Install the SSL Certificate
  • After your Certificate Authority issues the SSL certificate, you’ll receive the certificate file (typically in .crt or .cer format). Now you need to install it on your server.
  • In IIS Manager, go back to Server Certificates.
  • Click on Complete Certificate Request on the right side.
  • Browse to the location of the issued certificate file, and give it a friendly name (e.g., yourdomain.ac.ke SSL Certificate).
  1. Bind the SSL Certificate to the Website
  • In IIS Manager, expand the Sites node and select your website (yourdomain.ac.ke).
  • On the right-hand side, click Bindings.
  • In the Site Bindings window, click Add.
  • Set Type to https.
  • Choose the SSL certificate you just installed from the SSL certificate dropdown list.
  • Click OK to apply the changes.
  1. Test the SSL Configuration
  • Once the certificate is installed and bound to your website, test the SSL connection by visiting https://yourdomain.ac.ke.
  • Make sure the browser shows a secure padlock icon, indicating that the SSL certificate is active and working.

Certificate Properties for yourdomain.ac.ke

Here are the typical SSL certificate properties that will be associated with yourdomain.ac.ke once the SSL certificate is installed:

  • Common Name (CN): yourdomain.ac.ke
  • Organization (O): Yourdomain Ltd (or your actual organization name)
  • Organizational Unit (OU): IT Department (optional)
  • Locality (L): Nairobi
  • State/Province (ST): Nairobi County
  • Country (C): KE
  • Validity Period: Typically 1-2 years depending on the CA
  • Certificate Issuer: [The CA you chose, e.g., Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, etc.]
  • Public Key: 2048-bit RSA
  • Signature Algorithm: SHA-256 with RSA Encryption (for modern certificates)
  • Serial Number: A unique identifier for the certificate

These properties may vary depending on the SSL certificate provider.

  1. Troubleshooting
  • If the certificate does not work, verify that:
    • The certificate chain is complete (including intermediate certificates, if necessary).
    • The domain is correctly pointed to your server’s IP address.
    • The site binding for HTTPS is properly configured.

By following these steps, you can successfully request and install an SSL certificate for yourdomain.ac.ke on your Windows Server.

4o mini

You said:

common name is *.yourdomain.ac.ke

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

If the Common Name (CN) for the SSL certificate is *.yourdomain.ac.ke, you’re requesting a wildcard SSL certificate. A wildcard SSL certificate is used to secure all subdomains of yourdomain.ac.ke, such as www.yourdomain.ac.ke, mail.yourdomain.ac.ke, blog.yourdomain.ac.ke, and any other subdomain under yourdomain.ac.ke.

Here are the updated steps based on your wildcard certificate request (*.yourdomain.ac.ke):

  1. Generate the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for Wildcard Certificate
  • Open IIS Manager on your Windows Server.
  • In the left panel, select the Server name (the local server).
  • Double-click on Server Certificates in the center pane under the IIS section.
  • Click on Create Certificate Request on the right-hand side.
  • The Certificate Request Wizard will open. Fill out the following information:
    • Common Name: *.yourdomain.ac.ke (This is the wildcard domain name).
    • Organization: The legal name of your organization (e.g., Yourdomain Ltd).
    • Organizational Unit: (Optional) The division or department within your organization (e.g., IT Department).
    • Locality: The city or locality where your organization is based (e.g., Nairobi).
    • State or Province: The state/province where your organization is located (e.g., Nairobi County).
    • Country: The two-letter country code (e.g., KE for Kenya).
  • Choose a Cryptographic Service Provider: Select Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider.
  • Key Length: Choose 2048 bits (recommended for security).
  • Specify a location to save the CSR file (e.g., C:\CSR_yourdomain.ac.ke_wildcard.txt).
  1. Submit the CSR to a Certificate Authority (CA)
  • Submit the CSR file to your chosen Certificate Authority (CA) that supports wildcard SSL certificates.
    • Examples of CAs that offer wildcard SSL certificates include:
      • Let’s Encrypt
      • DigiCert
      • GlobalSign
      • Comodo
      • GoDaddy
      • Thawte
  • The CA will validate your domain and organization (depending on the type of validation required), and once the validation is complete, they will issue the SSL certificate for *.yourdomain.ac.ke.
  1. Install the SSL Certificate
  • After receiving the wildcard SSL certificate from your CA (typically in .crt or .cer format), install it on your Windows Server.
  • Go back to IIS Manager.
  • In the Server Certificates section, click on Complete Certificate Request.
  • Browse to the location of the issued wildcard certificate file and select it.
  • Provide a friendly name for the certificate, such as Yourdomain Wildcard SSL.
  1. Bind the Wildcard SSL Certificate to Your Site
  • Go to IIS Manager.
  • Expand the Sites node in the left pane and select the website for which you want to bind the SSL certificate (or create a new site for any subdomains you wish to serve).
  • In the right-hand pane, click on Bindings under the Actions section.
  • In the Site Bindings window, click Add.
  • Set the Type to https.
  • In the SSL certificate dropdown, select the wildcard certificate (Yourdomain Wildcard SSL or whatever friendly name you gave it).
  • Click OK.
  1. Test the Wildcard SSL Certificate
  • Visit any subdomain of yourdomain.ac.ke over HTTPS (e.g., https://www.yourdomain.ac.ke, https://mail.yourdomain.ac.ke, etc.) to verify the SSL certificate is working.
  • Check for the secure padlock symbol in the browser to ensure the connection is secure.

Updated Certificate Properties for *.yourdomain.ac.ke

With the wildcard certificate for *.yourdomain.ac.ke, your SSL certificate properties will look like this:

  • Common Name (CN): *.yourdomain.ac.ke
  • Organization (O): Yourdomain Ltd (your organization name)
  • Organizational Unit (OU): IT Department (optional)
  • Locality (L): Nairobi
  • State/Province (ST): Nairobi County
  • Country (C): KE
  • Validity Period: Typically 1-2 years (depending on the CA)
  • Certificate Issuer: [The CA you chose, e.g., Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, etc.]
  • Public Key: 2048-bit RSA
  • Signature Algorithm: SHA-256 with RSA Encryption (modern encryption standard)
  • Serial Number: A unique identifier assigned by the CA

Troubleshooting

  • If the wildcard certificate is not working, ensure that:
    • The full certificate chain is installed, including intermediate certificates (sometimes provided by the CA).
    • The DNS settings for subdomains (e.g., www, mail, etc.) are properly configured and point to your server.
    • The SSL binding for the site is properly set in IIS.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully configure and install a wildcard SSL certificate for *.yourdomain.ac.ke on your Windows Server.