Using an existing x509 certificate and private key to generate Java keystore to deploy https apps using SSL/TLS

>PROBLEM
You have the certificates and key generated by a CA and need to generate a keystore file to run a java application.


>SOLUTION

This example uses the certificates generated by sslforfree.

1. create a sandbox subfolder to generate the keystore file under the CA's folder where the certificates are stored.

  mkdir certificates\ssforfree\mysandbox

2. copy the CA's key and the certificate to the sandbox.

  cd certificates\ssforfree

  cp mysite_certificate.crt mysandbox

  cp mysite_private.key mysandbox

  cd certificates\ssforfree\mysandbox

  

  openssl pkcs12 -export -out keystore.p12 -name "myAlias" -inkey mysite_private.key -in mysite_certificate.crt

password?: mypass (the same pass used to generate the CA's certificates and key)

  

  where name = alias, the spring boot keyAlias value, the openssl friendly name.

3. set the application property file under the spring boot project.

Example using application.yml:

server:

  port: 8443 #default HTTPS

  ssl:

    #enabled: true

    key-store: keystore.p12

    keyStoreType: PKCS12

    keyAlias: myAlias 

    key-store-password: MY_PASSWORD_USED_WHEN_GENERATED_THE_CERTIFICATES_AT_CA_SITE

4. compile the spring boot project.

  mvn clean install

  

5. copy the keystore.p12 generated at "step 2" to the spring boot project's target folder.

  cp certificates\ssforfree\mysandbox\keystore.p12 myproject\target

6. run the application.

  cd target

  java -jar myapp-1.0.war