Exchange Server Policy Module for Certificate Server Disables Web Interface

ID: Q216422

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 SP1 includes an Exchange Server policy module for Microsoft Certificate Server 1.0. This policy module allows Exchange Server's Key Management Server to directly interact with Certificate Server to issue SSL keys to e-mail clients.

When this policy module is applied to the Certificate Server, it will no longer be able to fulfill certificate requests through its Web interface. When you browse to the Certificate Server Enrollment tools and create a request for a new client or server key, the following error occurs:

Error!!!
Certificate Server is unable to process your request.
Last Status Error Code = 0
Please verify that you are submitting a valid request or contact your Certificate Authority for assistance.


CAUSE

This is by design. The Exchange Server policy module disables the Certificate Server Web interface. When the Exchange Server policy module is installed to a Certificate Server, it can only be used by that Exchange Server computer.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, set up and configure multiple Certificate Servers. Configure the first Certificate Server as the Root Certificate Authority for your organization and the second Certificate Server as a Subordinate Certificate Authority to your Root Certificate Authority.

Install the Subordinate Certificate Authority on your Exchange Server computer. This Certificate Server is for the exclusive use of your Exchange Server's Key Management Service.


WORKAROUND

As noted in the Microsoft Windows NT Option Pack release notes, Microsoft Certificate Server 1.0 does not officially support certification authority hierarchies. However, several of the key capabilities of a "certification authority hierarchies" feature do work and can be used in an implementation with Exchange Server to achieve most of the desirable characteristics of certification authority hierarchies.

Installing a Certificate Server Subordinate Certificate Authority

A Certificate Server subordinate Certificate Authority (CA) is a certifying authority that issues certificates and CRLs, but does not sign certificates. The subordinate CA must submit certificates to a root CA to be signed.

Before you install the Certificate Server subordinate CA, you must install Internet Explorer version 4.01 or later on the server computer. You must also create a shared directory where Certificate Server will store certificates. The Windows NT Everyone account should have read permissions on the shared directory.

After you install the Certificate Server, you need to install the Exchange Server policy module and Certificate Server hotfix before the Certificate Server can use Key Management Server.

To install a subordinate CA, perform the following steps:
  1. Run the Windows NT Option Pack 4.0 Setup program and choose Custom.


  2. On the Components page, select Certificate Server, and then choose Show Subcomponents.


  3. Select Certificate Server Certifying Authority, and then choose Next.


  4. On the Microsoft Certificate Server page, in the Shared Folder box, enter the path to the shared certificate directory on the CA computer, and then choose Next.


  5. Select Show Advanced Configuration, and then choose Next.


  6. In the Hash Algorithm box, choose SHA-1.


  7. Select Non-Root CA, and then choose Next.


  8. Type the information describing your CA, and then choose Next.


  9. After you restart the computer, install the Microsoft Exchange Server policy module and the Certificate Server fix found in Service Pack 4 for Windows NT.




Creating Trust Between a Subordinate CA and a Root CA

The Certificate Authority service will not start automatically until you obtain a certificate from another CA using the request file in the Certs directory. Copy the certificate from the CA directory to the Certs directory, and then run the Certificate Server Hierarchy Configuration tool (Certhier.exe) to establish a trust relationship between the root CA and the subordinate CA.

To create a trust relationship between a subordinate CA and a root CA, do the following:
  1. From the Certs directory on the subordinate CA computer, copy the .req file to a disk.


  2. At the root CA computer, log on as an Administrator.


  3. From the command prompt, type the following command:
    certreq a:\filename.req a:\ filename.crt


  4. From the shared certificate directory, copy the signature file of the root CA to the disk. The following files are now on the disk:
    · SubMachineName_SubCAName.crt
    · SubMachineName_SubCAName.req
    · RootMachineName_RootCAName.crt


  5. From the subordinate CA computer, copy the root CA signature file to the Winnt\System32 directory, and name it RootCa.crt.

    Note: This file must be copied as RootCa.crt not RootMachineName_RootCAName.crt, where RootMachineName is the name of your computer, and RootCAName is the name of your CA.


  6. Copy the new signed .crt file and the original .req file from the disk to the shared directory.

    Note: The subordinate CA certificate is SubMachineName_SubCAName.crt where SubMachineName is the name of the computer where the subordinate CA is installed, and SubCAName is the name of the subordinate CA.


  7. Verify that the following registry key value exists (if not, add a new string value):


    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CertSvc\Configuration
    \SubCAName\HierFileName

    where SubCAName is the name of the subordinate CA. Set the value of the registry key to path SubCAName, where path is the complete path to the shared certificate and SubCAName is the name of the .req file without the .req extension. For example:
    c:\certs\SubMachineName_SubCAName


  8. From the command prompt, run Certhier.exe.


  9. In Control Panel, double-click Services, and then start the Certificate Authority service.



MORE INFORMATION

For more information on the setup and configuration of Certificate Server, please read your Certificate Server documentation.

For more information on Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 1 and the Exchange Server policy module for Certificate Server, please download and read the following:

Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 1 Readme
For more specific information on Microsoft Certificate Server and Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 1 interaction, please see the following:
Creating Certificate Hierarchies with MS Certificate Server Version 1.0

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : prodNT4OP 
Version           : winnt:1.0,5.5
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 12, 1999