Nortel Networks 4050 Displaying or saving a certificate and key using the CLI, Cfg/cert #/display

Chapter 11 Managing certificates 591

Displaying or saving a certificate and key using the CLI

You can display the current certificate and private key and then save copies as backup or for export to another device.

When you display the certificate and private key, you are prompted to protect it with a password phrase. Nortel recommends adding a password phrase, because this adds an extra layer of security.

Save the certificate by copying the certificate section and pasting it into a text editor, then saving the text file with a .PEM extension. Similarly, save the private key by copying the key section and pasting it into a text editor, then saving the text file with a .PEM extension. You can also save both the certificate and the private key in one file, with a .PEM extension.

To save a certificate and key in another format, use the /cfg/cert #/export command (see “Exporting a certificate and key from the Nortel SNAS 4050 using the CLI” on page 594).

To display the current certificate and key or save a copy, perform the following steps.

1Access the Certificate menu by using the /cfg/cert <cert id> command, where <cert id> is the certificate number of the certificate you wish to copy.

To view basic information about all configured certificates, use the /info/ certs command.

2Display the private key and certificate. Enter the following command:

/cfg/cert #/display

3When prompted, specify whether or not the key will be encrypted. The default is yes.

4When prompted, specify a password phrase if you wish to password protect the private key.

If you specify a password phrase, the password phrase must be provided on all occasions in future when the private key file is accessed (for example, when adding, importing, or exporting private keys and certificates).

Nortel Secure Network Access Switch 4050 User Guide