Hi dojo
I am configuring HTTPS on a DataMiner system running in a Failover pair (two Windows servers with a virtual/cluster IP). According to the documentation, wildcard certificates cannot be used, and each Agent must use a certificate that matches the hostname of the physical server — not the shared hostname or the virtual IP.
What is still unclear to me is the best practice for the CN/SAN configuration in this scenario:
- Each DMA has its own hostname and IP (e.g.
server1.domain.com→10.1.1.1,server2.domain.com→10.1.1.2) - There is also a virtual/shared IP (e.g.
10.1.1.3) that clients use to connect, since they should not need to know which node is currently active
My questions:
- What should be used as CN for each DMA’s certificate?
(I assume the physical hostname, e.g.server1.domain.com, but I’d like confirmation.) - What should be included in the SAN list?
- Physical hostname?
- Physical IP?
- A common client-facing DNS alias (e.g.
dataminer.domain.com)? - Should the virtual/shared IP ever be included in SAN, or is it strictly unsupported?
- Is there an official recommendation or proven pattern that ensures:
- A client can always connect through a common entry point
- HTTPS works without certificate errors after a failover
- Both Agents remain compliant with DataMiner’s certificate requirements?
I want to make sure that the certificate setup fully aligns with DataMiner Failover architecture and avoids any unexpected behavior during switchover.
Thanks in advance for any guidance or examples!
The recommended setup will require 2 certificates, 1 for each DMA in the pair. Each cert should contain SANs for server IP, server hostname, VIP, virtual hostname. DNS entries tying each hostname to its IP will need to exist.
Example certificates:
- CN = dma-main.example.com
- san:dns = dma-main.example.com
- san:dns = dma-virtual.example.com
- san:ip = 10.10.0.10
- san:ip = 10.10.0.12
- CN = dma-failover.example.com
- san:dns = dma-failover.example.com
- san:dns = dma-virtual.example.com
- san:ip = 10.10.0.11
- san:ip = 10.10.0.12
DNS Entries:
- dma-main.example.com 10.10.0.10
- dma-failover.example.com 10.10.0.11
- dma-virtual.example.com 10.10.0.12
You would then configure the IIS binding on each DMA using its respective certificate. And configure the HTTPS tag in MaintenanceSettings.xml to point toward the server hostname (not virtual).
Clients connecting using the virtual hostname will always be routed to the online DMA. Also clients can still connect using the server hostname if necessary.