With all of the security threats occurring on the Internet, it’s important to be able to trust the resource you’re connecting to and through which you’re passing information. One way you can enable others to trust you, is by installing Certificate Services on your server. Here’s how it’s done using Windows Server 2008.

What is Certificate Services?

Certificate Services is included with Windows Server 2008 but not installed by default. The service is used to issue and manage certificates for a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Certificate Services allows a computer running Windows Server 2008 to receive requests for certificates from users and computers, verify the identity of a requestor, issue and revoke certificates, and publish a Certificate Revocation List (CRL).

In this series, I will outline the steps you need to complete in order to install an Enterprise Certificate Authority. The article assumes you are familiar with the different types of certificate authorities and roles.

System Requirements

Before you install Certificate Services, you should be aware of the system requirements. These will vary depending on the type of Certificate Authority (CA) you are installing. An Enterprise Root CA requires Active Directory, Domain Name Service (DNS), and Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The server on which you plan to install the Certificate Services must also be a member of a Windows Server 2008 domain in which you are a domain administrator.

Conversely if you are installing a stand-alone CA, the system requirements change slightly. Active Directory is not required and administrative permissions are only needed on the server which you will install the service.