Digital Certificates › General Rules › Renew an Existing Certificate › When to Use RENEW and REKEY

When to Use RENEW and REKEY

Use the RENEW command function if a certificate is expiring and you want to continue to use the certificate. You can also use RENEW to alter the attributes of the certificate at the time of renewal. For example, to:

• Alter the validity period of the certificate
• Alter the certificate’s distinguished name
• Add or remove an ALTNAME value

Use the REKEY command function to change the public/private key pair, change the size or type of the keys, or change from RSA to DSA. An appropriate time to use REKEY is when the existing public/private key pair may be compromised, or when a particular key size no longer meets company standards.

For more information on the REKEY command function, see the Command Functions Guide.