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Manual Chapter : Managing Client-side HTTPS Traffic using a CA-signed Certificate

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Manual Chapter
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Managing Client-side HTTPS Traffic using a CA-signed Certificate

Overview: Managing client-side HTTPS traffic using a CA-signed certificate

When you want to manage HTTP traffic over SSL, you can configure the BIG-IP® system to perform the SSL handshake that target web servers normally perform.

A common way to configure the BIG-IP system is to enable client-side SSL, which makes it possible for the system to decrypt client requests before sending them on to a server, and encrypt server responses before sending them back to the client. In this case, you need to install only one SSL key/certificate pair on the BIG-IP system.

This implementation uses a certificate signed by a certificate authority (CA) to authenticate HTTPS traffic.

Task summary

To implement client-side authentication using HTTP and SSL with a certificate signed by a certificate authority, you perform a few basic configuration tasks.

Task list

Requesting a certificate from a certificate authority

You can generate a certificate and copy it or submit it to a trusted certificate authority for signature.
  1. On the Main tab, click System > File Management > SSL Certificate List .
    The SSL Certificate List screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the SSL certificate.
  4. From the Issuer list, select Certificate Authority.
  5. In the Common Name field, type a name.
  6. In the Division field, type your company name.
  7. In the Organization field, type your department name.
  8. In the Locality field, type your city name.
  9. In the State or Province field, type your state or province name.
  10. From the Country list, select the name of your country.
  11. In the E-mail Address field, type your email address.
  12. In the Lifetime field, type a number of days, or retain the default, 365.
  13. In the Subject Alternative Name field, type a name.
    This name is embedded in the certificate for X509 extension purposes.
    By assigning this name, you can protect multiple host names with a single SSL certificate.
  14. In the Challenge Password field, type a password.
  15. In the Confirm Password field, re-type the password you typed in the Challenge Password field.
  16. From the Key Type list, select a key type.
    Possible values are: RSA, DSA, and ECDSA.
  17. From the Size or Curve Name list, select either a size, in bits, or a curve name.
  18. Click Finished.
    The Certificate Signing Request screen displays.
  19. Do one of the following to download the request into a file on your system.
    • In the Request Text field, copy the certificate.
    • For Request File, click the button.
  20. Follow the instructions on the relevant certificate authority web site for either pasting the copied request or attaching the generated request file.
  21. Click Finished.
    The Certificate Signing Request screen displays.
The generated certificate is submitted to a trusted certificate authority for signature.

Creating a custom HTTP profile

An HTTP profile defines the way that you want the BIG-IP®system to manage HTTP traffic.
Note: Other HTTP profile types (HTTP Compression and Web Acceleration) enable you to configure compression and cache settings, as required. Use of these profile types is optional.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Profiles > Services > HTTP .
    The HTTP profile list screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New HTTP Profile screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the profile.
  4. From the Parent Profile list, select http.
  5. Select the Custom check box.
  6. Modify the settings, as required.
  7. Click Finished.
The custom HTTP profile now appears in the HTTP profile list screen.

Creating a custom Client SSL profile

You create a custom Client SSL profile when you want the BIG-IP® system to terminate client-side SSL traffic for the purpose of:
  • Authenticating and decrypting ingress client-side SSL traffic
  • Re-encrypting egress client-side traffic
By terminating client-side SSL traffic, the BIG-IP system offloads these authentication and decryption/encryption functions from the destination server.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Profiles > SSL > Client .
    The Client profile list screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New Client SSL Profile screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the profile.
  4. Select clientssl in the Parent Profile list.
  5. From the Configuration list, select Advanced.
  6. Select the Custom check box.
    The settings become available for change.
  7. Select the Custom check box for Client Authentication.
    The settings become available.
  8. From the Configuration list, select Advanced.
  9. Modify the settings, as required.
  10. Click Finished.

Creating a pool to process HTTP traffic

You can create a pool of web servers to process HTTP requests.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Pools .
    The Pool List screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New Pool screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the pool.
  4. For the Health Monitors setting, from the Available list, select the http monitor, and click << to move the monitor to the Active list.
  5. From the Load Balancing Method list, select how the system distributes traffic to members of this pool.
    The default is Round Robin.
  6. For the Priority Group Activation setting, specify how to handle priority groups:
    • Select Disabled to disable priority groups. This is the default option.
    • Select Less than, and in the Available Members field type the minimum number of members that must remain available in each priority group in order for traffic to remain confined to that group.
  7. Using the New Members setting, add each resource that you want to include in the pool:
    1. Type an IP address in the Address field.
    2. Type 80 in the Service Port field, or select HTTP from the list.
    3. (Optional) Type a priority number in the Priority field.
    4. Click Add.
  8. Click Finished.
The new pool appears in the Pools list.

Creating a virtual server for client-side HTTPS traffic

You can specify a virtual server to be either a host virtual server or a network virtual server to manage HTTPS traffic.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Virtual Servers .
    The Virtual Server List screen opens.
  2. Click the Create button.
    The New Virtual Server screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the virtual server.
  4. For the Destination setting, in the Address field, type the IP address you want to use for the virtual server.
    The IP address you type must be available and not in the loopback network.
  5. In the Service Port field, type 443, or select HTTPS from the list.
  6. From the HTTP Profile list, select the HTTP profile that you previously created.
  7. For the SSL Profile (Client) setting, from the Available list, select the name of the Client SSL profile you previously created, and using the Move button, move the name to the Selected list.
  8. In the Resources area, from the Default Pool list, select the name of the pool that you created previously.
  9. Click Finished.
The HTTPS virtual server appears in the Virtual Server List screen.

Implementation results

After you complete the tasks in this implementation, the BIG-IP® system can authenticate and decrypt HTTPS traffic coming from a client system. The BIG-IP system can also re-encrypt server responses before sending them back to the client.

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