a CSR (Certificate Signing Request)

Submitted by admin on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 23:00
  2. introduction
  3. what it is
    1. FAQ
  4. what it isn't
  5. where it is
  6. history

introduction

CSR. Corporate Social Responsibility? Communicable Disease Surveillance & Response? No. Certificate Signing Request.

what it is

A CSR is part of the process of turning a web site into an e-commerce marketplace. A CSR is a file containing your certificate application information, including your Public Key. You generate a CSR then give it to a CA (certificate authority). The CA return to you a signed copy of your certificate. You can then use this certificate to make your web server talk SSL. You can then convince punters to stop using your URL HTTP://brochure.my-company.com/ and start using HTTPS://spend-money.my-company.com/.

FAQ

(from http://www.entrust.net/customer_support/csr_faq.cfm)

  1. What is a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)?
  2. What does a CSR look like?
  3. Why do I need a Certificate Signing Request?
  4. How do I generate a Certificate Signing Request?
  5. How do I proceed if I get an "Invalid CSR" message during the application?
  6. How do I contact Entrust for additional assistance?
What is a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)?

A Certificate Signing Request (CSR) is a text file generated by a Web server.

Which contains the following:
-  Information about your organization (organization name, country, etc?)
-  Your Web or WAP Server's public key

Entrust Certificate Services will use the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to generate your signed digital certificate.

What does a CSR look like?

Your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) should look similar to the following:

-----BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
MIIDGjCCAoMCAQAwgYQxITAfBgNVBAMTGHd3dy50ZXN0Y2VydGl
maWNhdGVzLmNvbTEiMCAGA1UECxMZQ2VydGlmaWNhdGUgU2Vydm
ljZXMgY29kMjEQMA4GA1UEChMHRW50cnVzdDELMAkGA1UEBxMCT
04xDzANBgNVBAgTBk90dGF3YTELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMwgZ8wDQYJ
KoZIhvcNAQEBBQADgY0AMIGJAoGBALG+4E53Ui7lFunLmMbTlgL
QoubDqnc7Duih17eR1zmrUuJiwEj8vFk0Us5Ka3XEar4frLNzeW
vp7FwVI+VdV1LrhyKcpZAEU0X0D4ErC6VZkCUFfs7u1jv4pVqVd
PvWLm2fZHv0cPujdt0uFUI+kspisVnfR0RFiwiQJ9VGMALFAgMB
AAGgggFTMBoGCisGAQQBgjcNAgMxDBYKNS4wLjIxOTUuMjA1Bgo
rBgEEAYI3AgEOMScwJTAOBgNVHQ8BAf8EBAMCBPAwEwYDVR0lBA
wwCgYIKwYBBQUHAwEwgFW0GCisGAQQBgjcNAgIxge4wgesCAQEeW
gBNAGkAYwByAG8AcwBvAGYAdAAgAFIAUwBBACAAUwBDAGgAYQBu
AG4AZQBsACAAQwByAHkAcALB0AG8AZwByAGEAcABoAGkAYwAgAFA
AcgBvAHYAaQBkAGUAcgOBiQBfE24DPqBwFplR15/xZDY8Cugoxb
yymtwq/tAPZ6dzPr9Zy30NnkKQbKcsbLR/4t9/tWJIMmrFhZonr
x12qBfICoiKUXreSK89OILrLEto1frm/dycoXHhStSsZdm25vsz
v827FKKk5bRW/vIIeBqfKnEPJHOnoiG6UScvgA8QfgAAAAAAAAA
AMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA4GBAGsHA9fKzGdjfJRZoe07MNFqRb
mwwX+M+EXpzS+78Wr6D7HUPk3g6ixkEcC3cLER5Rt5VMu9vjlmO
IkJAzIWuWDj1Z4BpVeI33loaGS3PmLSnCt1lULaRalQNHk1vOc+
L0ygNwwNIvKLMPq4/LcUkZ9Oo4AssXW5mvvhHWGz2RWY
-----END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----























The Certificate Signing Request (CSR) begins with the line "----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and ends with the line "-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----". Please be sure to include these lines when submitting your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) during the online enrollment process.

Why do I need a Certificate Signing Request?

The Certificate Signing Request is required by Entrust Certificate Services to generate your digital certificate, and must be submitted to Entrust Certificate Services during the enrollment process.

How do I generate a Certificate Signing Request?

Your Web or WAP Server Technical Manual should be the primary source of information.

You may also consult the Server Support section on our web site for instructions on how to generate a CSR.

How do I proceed if I get an "Invalid CSR" message during the application?

Your Certificate Signing Request must be valid and properly formatted; otherwise you will get an "Invalid CSR" message when you apply for an Entrust SSL Web Server Certificate.

Please make sure that you have provided the entire Certificate Signing Request.

The Certificate Signing Request (CSR) begins with the line "----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST and ends with the line "-----END CERTIFICATE-----". Please be sure to include these lines when submitting your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) during the online enrollment process.

If your CSR is still rejected, you should generate a new CSR on your Web Server and retry the enrollment process. Our Support Team is available to help you.

what it isn't

A CRL (Certificate Revocation List).

where it is

history