APC Understanding Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security in 7900

Switched Rack PDU

USER’S GUIDE

®

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS)

For secure Web communication, you enable Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) by selecting HTTPS (SSL/TLS) as the protocol mode to use for access to the Web interface of the Switched Rack PDU. Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Sockets Layer (HTTPS) is a Web protocol that encrypts and decrypts page requests from the user and pages that are returned by the web server to the user. Originally developed by Netscape, it has become an internet standard supported by most Web browsers.

The Switched Rack PDU supports SSL version 3.0 and TLS version 1.0. Most browsers let you select the version of SSL to enable.

When SSL is enabled, your browser displays the lock icon, usually at the bottom of the screen.

SSL uses a digital certificate to enable the browser to authenticate the server (in this case, the Switched Rack PDU). The browser verifies the following:

•The format of the server certificate is correct.

•The server certificate’s expiration date and time has not passed.

•The DNS name or IP address specified when a user logs on matches the common name in the server certificate.

•The server certificate is signed by a trusted certifying authority.

Each major browser manufacturer distributes CA root certificates of the commercial Certificate Authorities in the certificate store (cache) of its browser so that it can compare the signature on the server certificate to the signature on a CA root certificate.

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