Windows Certificate Authority Design and Installation - Install the subordinate issuing CA Part 2

Introduction

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide for installing a subordinate issuing Certificate Authority (CA) in a Windows environment. It covers the installation of an offline standalone CA and an enterprise CA integrated with Active Directory. You'll learn how to set up Active Directory to issue machine certificates for 802.1X authentication and explore various methods for issuing certificates, including enabling the web interface for the CA.

Step 1: Prepare Your Environment

• Ensure you have administrative privileges on the server where you will install the subordinate CA.
• Verify that the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is correctly set up in your network.
• Make sure the offline standalone CA is already installed and configured.

Step 2: Install the Subordinate CA

1. Open the Server Manager on your Windows server.
2. Navigate to Manage > Add Roles and Features.
3. In the wizard, select Role-based or feature-based installation.
4. Choose your server from the server pool.
5. On the Server Roles page, select Active Directory Certificate Services.

Click Next until you reach the Role Services page

• Select Certification Authority.
• Optionally, select Certificate Enrollment Policy Web Service and Certificate Enrollment Web Service if needed.
6. Complete the installation by clicking Install and wait for it to finish.

Step 3: Configure the Subordinate CA

1. After installation, navigate to Tools > Certification Authority.
2. Right-click on the CA node and select Properties.
3. Under the General tab, set the CA name to reflect its role as a subordinate CA.

Go to the Security tab

• Add the necessary security groups to allow access for certificate enrollment.
4. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Configure Certificate Templates

1. Open the Certificate Templates snap-in by going to Tools > Certificate Templates in the CA management console.
2. Right-click on the desired template (e.g., Computer or User) and select Duplicate Template.

In the properties of the duplicated template

• Adjust settings such as Validity Period and Request Handling based on your requirements.
• Under Security, add the necessary groups or users that will be able to enroll for certificates.
3. Publish the template by right-clicking on the Certificate Templates node and selecting New > Certificate Template to Issue.

Step 5: Issue Certificates

Open the Certificates MMC (Microsoft Management Console)

• Run mmc and add the Certificates snap-in.
1. Right-click on the Personal store and select All Tasks > Request New Certificate.
2. Follow the wizard to select the appropriate certificate template and complete the request.
3. Monitor the issuance of certificates in the CA management console under Issued Certificates.

Step 6: Enable Web Enrollment

1. In Server Manager, go to Add Roles and Features.
2. Select Web Enrollment in the Role Services section.

Configure the Web Enrollment settings as required

• Set up a web server and specify the CA name.
• Ensure that the necessary roles and features are installed for the web service.
3. Access the web interface via the URL specified during installation to verify that it is functioning correctly.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured a subordinate issuing CA in your Windows environment. You've learned how to prepare your environment, install the CA, configure certificate templates, issue certificates, and enable web enrollment. As next steps, consider exploring advanced certificate management features or integrating additional security measures for your certificate infrastructure.