iControl Manual
27
CERTIFICATE UPLOAD UTILITY
The Certificate Utility (CUU.exe) is designed to create and distribute Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates to
iControls and the PCs that communicate with them. Although the iControl comes from the factory with a certificate
installed, this certificate will generate a warning message when connecting to the iControl when using SSL. For
most customers, this error message can be easily ignored and secure connection to the iControl continues. For
customers with special circumstances, the CU was designed to facilitate creation and distribution of SSL Certificates
tailored to a specific iControl, eliminating the error message entirely. There are two methods that can be used to
create and distribute the certificates:
1. Self Signed Certificates. A Self-signed certificate is the most common approach. In this approach, the CU
generates multiple certificates, each unique and based on the IP address, or DNS name of each iControl. The CU
also provides the means to install the certificate on the iControl, making it easy to generate and distribute. Upon
initial connection to the iControl, the user will be offered an opportunity to install the certificate from the iControl.
This is done once for each browser on the PC and each iControl.
Self Sign Method
Step 1:
Using the CU, create one unique Certificate based on
the IP Address of each iControl.
Step 2:
Use the CU to upload the Certificates to each
iControl.
Step 3:
Upon connecting to the iControl, each PC accepts the
certificate installed in the iControl.
2. Root Certificate Authority. The Root Certificate Authority method pre-installs the certificates required in both the
PC and the iControl. This eliminates the need for accepting the certificate from each iControl on each PC. The Root
Certificate is generated and installed in each PC prior to communication with the iControl. The Root Certificate also
is used, along with the IP address or domain of the iControl, to generate the certificates that are installed in the
iControl.
Root Certificate Authority Method
Step 1:
Create A Root Certificate Authority (CA) using the
Certificate Upload Utility (CU).
Step 2:
Install the CA into any PCs that need to communicate
with the iControls.
Step 3:
Create certificates for each iControl using the CU.
Each certificate is unique and based on the C/A and the
iControl’s IP Address or domain name.
Step 4:
Install the certificate into the iControl(s) using the
CU.
