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Generating a certificate signing request

You can use the security certificate generate-csr command to generate a certificate signing request (CSR). After processing your request, the certificate authority (CA) sends you the signed digital certificate.

Before you begin

You must be a cluster or SVM administrator to perform this task.

  1. Generate a CSR: security certificate generate-csr -common-name FQDN_or_common_name -size 512|1024|1536|2048 -country country -state state -locality locality -organization organization -unit unit -email-addr email_of_contact -hash-function SHA1|SHA256|MD5

    Example

    The following command creates a CSR with a 2048 -bit private key generated by the SHA256 hashing function for use by the Software group in the IT department of a company whose custom common name is server1.companyname.com , located in Sunnyvale , California , USA . The email address of the SVM contact administrator is web@example.com . The system displays the CSR and the private key in the output.

    cluster1::>security certificate generate-csr -common-name 
    server1.companyname.com -size 2048 -country US -state California 
    -locality Sunnyvale -organization IT -unit Software -email-addr
    web@example.com -hash-function SHA256

    Certificate Signing Request :
    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
    MIIBGjCBxQIBADBgMRQwEgYDVQQDEwtleGFtcGxlLmNvbTELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMx
    CTAHBgNVBAgTADEJMAcGA1UEBxMAMQkwBwYDVQQKEwAxCTAHBgNVBAsTADEPMA0G
    CSqGSIb3DQEJARYAMFwwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADSwAwSAJBAPXFanNoJApT1nzS
    xOcxixqImRRGZCR7tVmTYyqPSuTvfhVtwDJbmXuj6U3a1woUsb13wfEvQnHVFNci
    2ninsJ8CAwEAAaAAMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBCwUAA0EA6EagLfso5+4g+ejiRKKTUPQO
    UqOUEoKuvxhOvPC2w7b//fNSFsFHvXloqEOhYECn/NX9h8mbphCoM5YZ4OfnKw==
    -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----


    Private Key :
    -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
    MIIBOwIBAAJBAPXFanNoJApT1nzSxOcxixqImRRGZCR7tVmTYyqPSuTvfhVtwDJb
    mXuj6U3a1woUsb13wfEvQnHVFNci2ninsJ8CAwEAAQJAWt2AO+bW3FKezEuIrQlu
    KoMyRYK455wtMk8BrOyJfhYsB20B28eifjJvRWdTOBEav99M7cEzgPv+p5kaZTTM
    gQIhAPsp+j1hrUXSRj979LIJJY0sNez397i7ViFXWQScx/ehAiEA+oDbOooWlVvu
    xj4aitxVBu6ByVckYU8LbsfeRNsZwD8CIQCbZ1/ENvmlJ/P7N9Exj2NCtEYxd0Q5
    cwBZ5NfZeMBpwQIhAPk0KWQSLadGfsKO077itF+h9FGFNHbtuNTrVq4vPW3nAiAA
    peMBQgEv28y2r8D4dkYzxcXmjzJluUSZSZ9c/wS6fA==
    -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

    Note: Please keep a copy of your certificate request and private key 
    for future reference.
  2. Copy the certificate request from the CSR output, and send it in electronic form (such as email) to a trusted third-party CA for signing.
    After processing your request, the CA sends you the signed digital certificate. You should keep a copy of the private key and the CA-signed digital certificate.