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This document describes how to enable authentication via X.509 certificates. It supplements the official Acegi Security documentation on this subject. This kind of authentication takes place when (1) using HTTPS and (2) the server requires a client certificate. Normally when an HTTPS connection is established, only the server provides a certificate. Additionally, the server can require the client to also present a certificate. This is called mutual authentication, or two way SSL authentication.

Prerequisites

This document applies to the Pentaho BI Server, versions 1.6 and higher.

The instructions below assume three entities:

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1. Prepare the certificate authority (CA) certificate.
   1. Generate the CA private key.
   2. Generate the self-signed certificate for the CA using the CA private key.
2. Prepare the server certificate.
   1. Generate the server private key.
   2. Generate the server certificate signing request (CSR).
   3. Sign the server CSR using the CA private key and CA certificate.
3. Prepare the client certificate.
   1. Generate the client private key.
   2. Generate the client CSR.
   3. Sign the client CSR using the CA private key and CA certificate.
4. Import the CA certificate into the keystore (e.g. cacerts) containing the root certificates of certificate authorities.
   1. Export the CA private key and CA certificate into a format suitable for the JVM keystore.
   2. Import the CA private key and CA certificate into a temporary keystore.
   3. Export the CA certificate out of the temporary keystore.
   4. Import the CA certificate into the cacerts file.
5. Import the server private key and server certificate into the keystore to be used by the server.
   1. Export the server private key and server certificate into a format suitable for the server keystore.
   2. Import the server private key and server certificate into the server keystore.
6. Edit the server config to enable HTTPS and to use the server keystore.
7. Import the client private key and client certificate into the browser.
   1. Export the client private key and client certificate into a format suitable for the browser.
   2. Import the client private key and client certificate into the browser.
8. Modify the Pentaho BI Server security configuration to handle client certificates.

Results

After completing these instructions, the Pentaho BI Server will authenticate via client certificates. If a certificate is not supplied by the user or if the certificate is invalid, the Pentaho BI Server will respond with an HTTP status 403 (Forbidden).

Examples

Example using OpenSSL

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Modify the Pentaho BI Server security configuration to handle client certificates.

Note: The applicationContext-acegi-security.xml below has been modified such that the only authentication is X509. In other words, there will be no login page if the user fails to submit a X509 client certificate. In the event that an X509 certificate is not found, an HTTP status 403 (Forbidden) will be returned to the client.

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