Manage security certificates

The backup/recovery appliance uses digital certificates to ensure secure communication between appliances. All entities in a configuration must have matching security certificates in order to establish a secure relationship.

There are two methods to establish a secure relationship between entities:

  • Exchange certificates between two entities
  • Download a certificate from each appliance and then upload them to the other appliance.

View certificates

Use these instructions to view the certificate of all entities connected to the local appliance in the non-sharing mode:

  1. Click the Manage tab and select Appliances from the drop-down menu.
  2. Select an appliance.
  3. Click Configure Appliance to open the Appliance Configuration page.
  4. Go to Appliance Settings > Certificates. A list of all appliances connected to the local appliance is displayed, along with the corresponding certificates.

Delete a certificate

You may need to delete an existing certificate in the following situations:

  • To disconnect the communication.
  • When an existing certificate becomes invalid. In such cases, you may need to remove the old one and upload the new certificate.

Use these instructions to delete a security certificate:

  1. Click the Manage tab and select Appliances from the drop-down menu.
  2. Select an appliance.
  3. Click Configure Appliance to open the Appliance Configuration page.
  4. Go to Appliance Manager > Certificate.
  5. Select the certificate and click the Remove button.
  6. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog.

Download a certificate

Use these instructions to download a security certificate:

  1. Click the Manage tab and select Appliances from the drop-down menu.

    The Appliances page opens.

  2. Select an appliance.

  3. Click Configure Appliance to open the Appliance Configuration page.

  4. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner of the page and select Download Certificate from the drop-down menu.

Upload a certificate

Use these instructions to upload a security certificate:

  1. Click the Manage tab and select Appliances from the drop-down menu.

    The Appliances page opens.

  2. Select an appliance.

  3. Click Configure Appliance to open the Appliance Configuration page.

  4. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner of the page and select Upload Certificate from the drop-down menu. The Choose a certificate to import window opens.

  5. Browse and select the certificate file and then click Open. The certificate is listed in the certificate store at Manage > Appliances > System > Configuration > Appliance Settings > Certificates.

Exchange certificates

Certificate exchange is a quick way to download certificates when you have secure administrative access to both appliances.

Use these instructions to exchange security certificates between two backup/recovery appliances:

  1. Click the Manage tab and select Appliances from the drop-down menu.

    The Appliances page opens.

  2. Select an appliance.

  3. Click Configure Appliance to open the Appliance Configuration page.

  4. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner of the page and select Certificate Exchange from the drop-down menu.

    The Exchange Certificates dialog appears.

  5. Enter the IP address of the remote appliance.

  6. In the space provided, enter the admin password to access the remote appliance.

  7. Click Exchange. The security certificates are exchanged between the local appliance and the remote appliance. After the certificates are exchanged, the local appliance can be joined with the remote appliance.