Installation and Upgrade Guides › Directory Configuration Guide › Configuring SiteMinder Connections over SSL › How to Configure an LDAP User Directory Connection over SSL › Before You Configure a Connection over SSL

Before You Configure a Connection over SSL

Review the following before configuring an LDAP user directory connection over SSL:

• Ensure your directory server is SSL-enabled.

  Note: For more information on configuring your directory server to communicate over SSL, refer to the vendor-specific documentation.

• SiteMinder uses a Netscape LDAP SDK to communicate with LDAP directories. As a result, SiteMinder requires that the database files be in a Netscape version file format (cert7.db).

  Important! Do not use Microsoft Internet Explorer to install certificates into your cert7.db database file.

• A third-party certificate utility, which is compatible with Netscape, is required to manage your SSL certificates. We recommend the Mozilla® Network Security Services (NSS) utility, version 3.2.2.

  Note: Version 3.2.2 is required to support the cert7.db format. Do not use later versions.

• (Active Directory) Considering the following:
  • If the SiteMinder user directory connection was configured with the AD namespace, the following process does not apply. The AD namespace uses the native Windows certificate repository when establishing an SSL connection. When configuring the AD namespace to communicate over SSL:
    • Ensure that the SiteMinder user directory connection is configured for a secure connection. For more information, refer to Configure the User Directory Connection for SSL.
    • On the machine hosting the Active Directory instance, ensure that the root CA certificate and the server certificate are added to the services' certificate store.

    Note: For more information on configuring Active Directory to communicate over SSL, refer to the Microsoft documentation.

  • If the SiteMinder user directory connection was configured with the LDAP namespace, complete the following process to configure the connection over SSL.