m4ttyj

updated

11 years ago

M

m4ttyj

3 Posts

0

162746

April 2nd, 2013 05:00

Help Installing customer Trusted Certificate on EqualLogic environment

Hi guys

Can anyone provide guidance or point me to documentation on installing custom certificates on a PS Series Group please?

I see references in the Group Admin Guide and CLi documentation, but I can’t find anything specific detailing configuration options, procedures etc.

Thank you in advance

  • Joe S586

    9 Technologist

    729 Posts

    3052

    1

    Posted April 2nd, 2013 06:00

    You would first FTP the certificates to the array.  If not using a management network, use the Group IP for the FTP connection, if using a management network, use the Management Network Group IP for the FTP connection.  This ensure the file is copied to the correct member (the Group leader).

    Once copied, both the Admin Guide and the CLI guide has really good instructions on the steps to configure IPSEC, and many examples, but to summarize:

    Enable IPSEC:

    Ipsec enable

    (enabling IPSEC can be done before or after after you configure IPSEC, some folks hold off enabling ipsec until they have configured both the group and hosts)

    Load the Cert:

    Ipsec certificate load certificate_name file_name type… (there are additional options you may/may not need)

    Verify the specific Cert:

    Ipsec certificate select certificate_name show

    Show all the certs installed:

    Ipsec certificate show

    Create a policy:

    Ipsec-policy create… (additional options as needed)

    View the policy:

    Ipsce-policy show

    Perform any host or host iSCSI initiator tasks as needed to use IPSEC

    -joe

  • m4ttyj

    3 Posts

    3052

    0

    Posted April 2nd, 2013 07:00

    Hi Joe

    Thanks for the quick response - that's exactly what I'm looking for! Will have a read through the IPSEC sections of the Admin and CLi Guides

    Matt

  • m4ttyj

    3 Posts

    3052

    0

    Posted April 2nd, 2013 13:00

    Ahh, ok - I will need to secure connectivity between the Web GUI and Group Management IP (on a dedicated management network).

    Am I right in saying all I need to do is generate a local certificate for the Group Management Network address and install the root-CA plus local certificate, and then install a the same/relevant certificate chain on the machine(s) running the web GUI?

    Note, this is a PS6x00 array, which has a dedicated management interface

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    3052

    0

    Posted August 27th, 2013 18:00

    Also, it would be a good idea for Dell to properly sign the applet(s) so that the Java runtime doesn't complain about them.

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    3052

    0

    Posted August 27th, 2013 18:00

    So, to confirm, you're saying there is no way to provide the web GUI with a valid SSL certificate?

    That's unfortunate, because it means we have to click through a browser warning every time we use the GUI, and because it means we have no reasonably reliable way of knowing that the Java applet we're about to run hasn't been maliciously modified.

    We can work around the first problem by using http instead of https.  But that makes the second problem even worse.

    Could you please consider this as a feature request for future versions of the firmware?

    Thanks.

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    3052

    0

    Posted August 27th, 2013 19:00

    What prevents the applet from running if it has been modified?  It isn't digitally signed as far as I can tell.

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    1045

    0

    Posted August 27th, 2013 19:00

    OK, looking again I see there's something more complicated going on.

    When I go to our EqualLogic server's group management site, I am prompted twice to allow an application to run.  The first application is not digitally signed, and it isn't clear what if anything it actually does.  The second application is the management GUI and it *is* digitally signed, so provided the user checks the signature it is protected from modification.

    Any idea what's going on here?  How can I avoid the extra prompt?

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    1045

    0

    Posted August 27th, 2013 20:00

    Excellent.  That also avoids the issue with the browser-based GUI only wanting one instance open at a time per client machine.

    In fact, if I explicitly aim javaws at groupmgr.jnlp, I don't even need to install Java in the browser.  What version of Java is recommended, 6 or 7?

  • MoRRiS11

    1 Rookie

    47 Posts

    1045

    0

    Posted July 28th, 2015 18:00

    Is this stil unavailable ?

    Since modern security requirements for stepping stones and management stations we really need signed certificates for access to management pages.

    It would be very strange do add exeptions for every EQL group because they all have self signed certificates. modern browser and secure OS policies don't allow this by default.

    All the Dell iDRAC interfaces are also configurable with signed certificates.

    If it is not possible, what should be the most secure work around? and is this a roadmap item ?

  • harryjohnston

    1 Rookie

    25 Posts

    1045

    0

    Posted July 28th, 2015 19:00

    Well, no.  You don't know what the source is; it might be the EQL array, or it might be a man-in-the-middle attacker.  The Java runtime should confirm that the applet is signed, but will not prevent an attacker using a signed but malicious applet.  (Not a concern for my organization, since the management network is isolated, but that's not always possible.)

    I suppose since EQL supports ipsec that might be a solution, but it's kind of complicated.  And you'd also need ipsec on your DNS servers.