Generating Private/Public Keypairs
Part of the process of generating a certificate is to create a private/public keypair. You can also use these keys on their own for authentication and encryption. Keypairs are stored on your machine and protected by a passphrase that will be necessary to open and use them.
Tip: You can use one key for multiple certificates.
You can create keys before you generate the certificate, and then select the keys during the certificate generation process. Otherwise, you can create the keys as part of the certificate generation process itself. In either case, you will use the Key Generation Wizard to create the keys.
To create a private/public keypair:
- Open the Key Generation Wizard by clicking User Keys in the left pane of the console, and then clicking the Create New Key button at the bottom of the key pane.
- Click Next on the welcome screen. The Key Parameters screen opens.
- Provide the necessary information and click Next. The wizard generates the key.
Note:
Depending on the size of the key to be generated and the speed of your CPU, the key generation process may take some time. - Click Finish. The key is displayed in the key pane and saved in the my.hcs file located in the certs directory where the user files are stored on your machine.
- Click Close.