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  • The following explanations assume CA-signed certificates or self-signed certificates to be used.
    • CA-signed certificates are provided from known and trusted Certificate Authorities (CA) that validates validate the domain owner.
    • Self-signed certificates are created by users who operate their own CA, see the JS7 - How to create self-signed Certificates.
    • Use of Intermediate CA Certificates is optional.
  • Certificate stores can be managed from the command line and using tools that provide a GUI for this purpose:
    • the Java keytool is available from the Java JRE or JDK,
    • the Keystore Explorer, which is an open source utility to graphically manage certificate stores.
  • Starting from Java 9 the PKCS12 keystore type is default and is not required to be specified with keytool.
  • The following sections assume a PKCS12 keystore/truststore format. For Unix OS the .p12 file extension frequently is used, for Windows OS the .pfx extension is preferably used. Both file extensions indicate the same PKCS12 format and can be used interchangeably.

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Flowchart
Controller[label="   Controller   \nStandalone / Cluster",fillcolor="lightskyblue"]
Agent_A [label="   Agent   ",fillcolor="lightskyblue"]
 
Controller_Truststore [label="Controller Truststore\nhttps-truststore.p12\n\nCA certificates",fillcolor="orange"]
Controller_Keystore [label="Controller Keystore\nhttps-keystore.p12\n\nCA certificates\nPrivate Key / Certificate",fillcolor="limegreen"]

Agent_A_Truststore [label="Agent Truststore\nhttps-truststore.p12\n\nCA certificates",fillcolor="limegreen"]
Agent_A_Keystore [label="Agent Keystore\nhttps-keystore.p12\n\nCA certificates\nPrivate Key / Certificate",fillcolor="orange"]

Controller_Truststore_RootCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Root\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]
#Controller_Keystore_RootCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Root\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]
#Controller_Keystore_IntermediateCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Intermediate\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]
Controller_Keystore_PrivateKey [shape="ellipse",label="Client Authenciation\nPrivate Key",fillcolor="white"]
Controller_Keystore_Certificate [shape="ellipse",label="Client Authentication\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]

Agent_A_Truststore_RootCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Root\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]
#Agent_A_Keystore_RootCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Root\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]
#Agent_A_Keystore_IntermediateCertificate [shape="ellipse",label="CA Intermediate\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]

Agent_A_PrivateKey [shape="ellipse",label="Server Authenciation\nPrivate Key",fillcolor="white"]
Agent_A_Keystore_Certificate [shape="ellipse",label="Server Authentication\nCertificate",fillcolor="white"]

Agent_A -> Agent_A_Keystore 
Agent_A_Keystore -> Agent_A_PrivateKey -> Agent_A_Keystore_Certificate [label=" add to keystore "]
#Agent_A_Keystore -> Agent_A_Keystore_RootCertificate -> Agent_A_Keystore_IntermediateCertificate [label=" add to keystore "]
Agent_A -> Agent_A_Truststore
Agent_A_Truststore -> Agent_A_Truststore_RootCertificate [label=" add to truststore "]

Controller -> Agent_A [label=" establish connection "]
Controller -> Controller_Truststore
Controller_Truststore -> Controller_Truststore_RootCertificate [label=" add to truststore "]
Controller -> Controller_Keystore
#Controller_Keystore -> Controller_Keystore_RootCertificate -> Controller_Keystore_IntermediateCertificate [label=" add to keystore "]
Controller_Keystore -> Controller_Keystore_PrivateKey -> Controller_Keystore_Certificate [label=" add to keystore "]

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In the following the JS7_CONTROLLER_CONFIG_DIR placeholder specifies the configuration directory of the Controller. 

The JS7_AGENT_HOME, JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR placeholder specifies the directories where the Agent holds configuration files.

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  • On the Agent server create the keystore using openssl and the keytool from your Java JRE or JDK. Alternatively import a private key and certificate that you received from your certificate authorityCertificate Authority:
    • For use with a third party utility create a keystore, e.g. https-keystore.p12, in PKCS12 format and import:
      • the Agent private key and certificate for Server Authentication
    • The examples below show a possible approach for certificate management. However, there are other ways to achieve similar results.
      • Example for importing a private key and CA-signed certificate to a PKCS12 keystore:

        Code Block
        languagebash
        titleExample how to import a private key and CA-signed certificate to a PKCS12 keystore
        # Assume the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the Agent server to be "agent.example.com"
        
        # If the Agent's CA-signed certificate is provided from a pkcs12 keystore (certificate.p12), extract the certificate to a .crt file in PEM format (agent.example.com.crt)
        # openssl pkcs12 -in certificate.p12 -nokeys -out agent.example.com.crt
        
        # Import the Agent's private key (agent.example.com.key) and certificate (agent.example.com.crt) from PEM format to a new keystore (agent.example.com.p12)
        openssl pkcs12 -export -in agent.example.com.crt -inkey agent.example.com.key --name agent.example.com -out "JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/https-keystore.p12"
      • Example for creating a private key and self-signed certificate and import to a keystore

        • Refer to examples available from JS7 - How to create self-signed Certificates, chapter Creating a Server Certificate.

          Code Block
          languagebash
          titleExample how to create a private key and self-signed certificate
          # Creating the private key and self-signed certificate for the given validity period
          ./create_certificate.sh --dns=agent.example.com --days=365
        • Refer to examples available from JS7 - How to add SSL TLS Certificates to Keystore and Truststore.

          Code Block
          titleExample how to add a private key and self-signed certificate to a PKCS12 keystore
          # Adding the private key and certificate to a keystore
          ./js7_create_certificate_store.sh \
              --keystore=JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/https-keystore.p12 \
              --key=agent.example.com.key \
              --cert=agent.example.com.crt \
              --alias=agent.example.com \
              --password=jobscheduler


          When using additional arguments a truststore will be immediately created:

          Code Block
          titleExample how to add a private key and self-signed certificate to a PKCS12 keystore and the Root CA Certificate to a truststore
          # Adding the private key and certificate to a keystore
          ./js7_create_certificate_store.sh \
              --keystore=JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/https-keystore.p12 \
              --truststore=JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/https-truststore.p12 \ 
              --key=controlleragent.example.com.key \
              --cert=controlleragent.example.com.crt \
              --alias=controlleragent.example.com \
              --password=jobscheduler \
              --ca-root=root-ca.crt
    • With the keystore being set up specify the relevant properties with the JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/private.conf configuration file:
      • Example

        Code Block
        languagetext
        titleExample for private.conf file specifying the Agent keystore
        js7 {
            web {
                # keystore and truststore locations for https connections
                https {
                    keystore {
                        # Default: ${js7.config-directory}"/private/https-keystore.p12"
                        file=${js7.config-directory}"/private/https-keystore.p12"
                        key-password="jobscheduler"
                        store-password="jobscheduler"
                    }
                }
            }
        }


        Explanation:
        • js7.web.https.keystore.file is used for the path to the keystore.
        • js7.web.https.keystore.key-password is used for access to the private key.
        • js7.web.https.keystore.store-password is is used for access to the keystore. Passwords for key access and keystore access have to match if a PKCS12 keystore type is used.

  • On the Agent instance's server create the keystore using the keytool from your Java JRE or JDK or a third party utility.
    • For use with a third party utility create a truststore, e.g. https-truststore.p12, in PKCS12 format and import:
      • Root CA Certificate
    • The examples below show a possible approach for certificate management - however, there are other ways of achieving similar results.
      • Example for importing a Root CA Certificate to a PKCS12 keystore:

        Code Block
        languagebash
        titleExample how to import a Root CA Certificate to a PKCS12 keystore
        # Import Root CA Certificate in PEM format to a PKCS12 truststore (https-truststore.p12)
        keytool -importcert -alias "root-ca" -file "root-ca.crt" -keystore "JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/https-truststore.p12" -storetype PKCS12

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  • By default mutual authentication is in place.
    • The Controller verifies the Agent's Server Authentication certificate.
    • The Controller is challenged by the Agent to present its Client Authentication certificate which is then verified by the Agent.
    • If a Controller Cluster is used then connections from both Controller instances are authenticated by the Distinguished Name of the Controller instance's Client Authentication certificate.
  • The JS7_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR/private/private.conf configuration file should include authentication details like this:

    Code Block
    titleExample for private.conf file specifying Controller authentication
    js7 {
        auth {
            users {
                # Controller ID for connections by primary/secondary Controller instance
                jobscheduler {
                    distinguished-names=[
                        "DNQ=SOS CA, CN=primary_controller_client, OU=IT, O=SOS, L=Berlin, ST=Berlin, C=DE",
                        "DNQ=SOS CA, CN=secondary_controller_client, OU=IT, O=SOS, L=Berlin, ST=Berlin, C=DE"
                    ]
                }
            }
        }
    }


    Explanation:
    • The jobscheduler user account is an example of a Controller ID that is specified during Controller installation.
    • The distinguished-names property allows the addition of a number of Distinguished Names as available from the subject of Client Authentication certificates that are used by Controller instances when connecting to the Agent.
      • Except for whitespace between attributes the precise sequence and values as available from the certificate's subject has to match this property value.

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