SSL Installation Instructions

The following instructions will guide you through the SSL installation process on Tomcat. If you have more than one server or device, you will need to install the certificate on each server or device you need to secure. If you still have not generated your certificate and completed the validation process, reference our CSR Generation Instructions and disregard the steps below.

  1. Make sure you have all the following files saved before proceeding:
    • Your Server Certificate - This is the certificate you received from the CA for your domain. You may have been sent this via email. If not, you can download it by visiting your Account Dashboard and clicking on your order.
    • Intermediate Certificates - These files allow the devices connecting to your server to identify the issuing CA. There may be more than one of these certificates. If you got your certificate in a ZIP folder, it should also contain the Intermediate certificate(s), which is sometimes referred to as a CA Bundle. If not, download the appropriate CA Bundle for your certificate.
    • Your Private Key - This file should be on your server, or in your possession if you generated your CSR from a free generator tool. On certain platforms, such as Microsoft IIS, the private key is not immediately visible to you but the server is keeping track of it.
  2. Convert your certificate files from PEM (.cer or .crt)  to PKCS#7 (.p7b) Format using our free SSL Converter tool.
    • Select PEM as your Current type.
    • Select P7B as your Change for.
    • Upload Your Server Certificate.
    • Upload Root CA Certificate.

      Note: This file is usually pre-installed on your server or device. You can always install it again to ensure the correct certificate chain is built.

    • Upload Your Intermediate Certificates.

      Note: If you have two intermediate files, upload the second file as the Root CA Certificate. This will allow you to still build the correct certificate chain since the Root should be pre-installed on your server or device.

    • Click Convert and Save on your server or device.
  3. Go to the same Directory where you previously saved the keystore and Certificate Signing Request (CSR).

    Note: You must install the certificate on the same keystore and under the same "alias name." If not, you will encounter problems during installation and may have to start over.

  4. Install the certificate in the same keystore by running the following command:

    keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias server -file your_file_name.p7b -keystore your_domain_name.jks

    Note: Replace "your_domain_name" with the primary domain you will be securing and "your_file_name" with the PKCS#7 file name that you recently converted & saved.

  5. You should receive this confirmation message: "Certificate reply was installed in keystore."
  6. Enter Y or Yes when prompted to trust the certificate.

    Note: Your keystore now has the correct certificate files to use SSL/https on your Tomcat server.

  7. Now, you need to configure an SSL connector which will enable the server to accept secure connections.
  8. Open the .xml file from your server in a text editor such as Notepad.

  9. Note: The .xml file is generally stored in the conf folder in your server's home directory.

  10. Locate the connector that you intend to use the new keystore to secure.

    Note: Typically, the connector used has port 443 or 8443.

  11. Uncomment the connector – if necessary – by removing the comment tags (<!-- and -->).
  12. Enter the correct keystore filename and password. See our example below:

  13. < Connector port="443" maxHttpHeaderSize="8192" maxThreads="150" minSpareThreads="25" maxSpareThreads="75" enableLookups="false" disableUploadTimeout="true" acceptCount="100" scheme="https" secure="true" SSLEnabled="true" clientAuth="false" sslProtocol="TLS" keyAlias="server" keystoreFile="/home/user_name/your_domain_name.jks" keystorePass="your_keystore_password" />

    Note: If you are using a version prior to Tomcat 7, please change the word "keystorePass" to "keypass".

  14. Save all changes made to your .xml file.
  15. Restart your Tomcat server to complete the SSL installation process.

Congratulations! You've successfully installed your SSL certificate! To check your work, visit the website in your browser at https://yourdomain.tld and view the certificate/site information to see if HTTPS/SSL is working properly. Remember, you may need to restart your server for changes to take effect.

To check your server's configurations more thoroughly, use our SSL Checker Tool or contact our Customer Experience Department for additional assistance.