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Administering
This section describes how to plan for, install, configure, operate, and manage the SafeLinx Server.
Adding and configuring resources
After you complete the installation and initial configuration, continue to prepare the deployment by configuring other network resources.
Securing communications between the SafeLinx Server and other nodes
The SafeLinx Server and the services that it hosts exchange data with clients on the external network and with different types of servers on the internal network. To ensure the privacy of these communications, you can use TLS protocols to encrypt connections between the SafeLinx Server and other nodes.
Securing communications between the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager
By default, the SafeLinx Administrator communicates with the access manager over an unencrypted connection. If you run SafeLinx Administrator from a computer that is remote to the SafeLinx Server, you can use TLS protocols to encrypt communications between the two nodes. Use a third-party tool such as OpenSSL to manage the X.509 certificates that are required to establish a secure SafeLinx Administrator session.

Administering
This section describes how to plan for, install, configure, operate, and manage the SafeLinx Server.
- Overview
  HCL SafeLinx uses standards-based protocols to enable secure access from mobile computing devices outside the firewall to business applications and data on your organization's internal network.
- Security
  HCL SafeLinx includes a range of options for configuring the security of your network, applications, and data.
- Installation planning
  Before you install HCL SafeLinx, verify that you meet the hardware and software requirements, and that the network connections that you want to use are available.
- Roadmaps: Installing and setting up SafeLinx
  The following "roadmap" topics guide you through installing and initially configuring SafeLinx. Refer to the topic that corresponds to your relational database and server operating system.
- Installing and initial configuration
  Initial configuration and installation of HCL SafeLinx varies based on your operating system and relational database.
- Adding a secure login profile
  By default, the SafeLinx Administrator communicates with the access manager over an unencrypted connection. If you want the connection between the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager to use transport layer security (TLS) protocols, add a secure login profile to the SafeLinx Administrator.
- Adding and configuring resources
  After you complete the installation and initial configuration, continue to prepare the deployment by configuring other network resources.
  - Types of resources
    Before a deployment can support client connections, you must add components to the SafeLinx Server. You use the SafeLinx Administrator to add and configure components. These components include resources to support HTTP access services, mobile access services, and messaging services, and resources to establish security and facilitate administration.
  - Defining a SafeLinx Server by using the SafeLinx Administrator
    Before you can define a SafeLinx Server, you must configure the access manager. If you connect to a SafeLinx Server and its access manager is not yet configured, a wizard leads you through the access manager configuration first. After that process completes, you can configure the SafeLinx Server.
  - Configuring a directory server
    You can configure the SafeLinx Server to retrieve user profile information from an external LDAP server. The directory server that you configure also provides information about how to contact other directory server services. After you configure a directory server, you can assign it to an LDAP-bind authentication profile to authenticate clients when they log in.
  - Securing communications between the SafeLinx Server and other nodes
    The SafeLinx Server and the services that it hosts exchange data with clients on the external network and with different types of servers on the internal network. To ensure the privacy of these communications, you can use TLS protocols to encrypt connections between the SafeLinx Server and other nodes.
    - Securing communications between the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager
      By default, the SafeLinx Administrator communicates with the access manager over an unencrypted connection. If you run SafeLinx Administrator from a computer that is remote to the SafeLinx Server, you can use TLS protocols to encrypt communications between the two nodes. Use a third-party tool such as OpenSSL to manage the X.509 certificates that are required to establish a secure SafeLinx Administrator session.
      - Editing access manager properties to enable TLS
        After you install certificates on the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager, configure the access manager to require remote SafeLinx Administrator clients to use secure connections.
    - Securing communications among SafeLinx Servers in a cluster
      For SafeLinx Servers that participate in a cluster, you can use TLS protocols to secure communications between subordinate and principal nodes.
    - Securing communications with an LDAP server
      You can configure Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt communications between the SafeLinx Server and an LDAP server.
    - Securing connections for HTTP access services
      You can configure Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt communications between HTTP access services and other nodes.
    - Configuring secure connections between mobile access services and SafeLinx Clients
      You can use transport layer security (TLS) to encrypt connections between SafeLinx Clients and a mobile access service. To support secure connections from SafeLinx Clients, you install an X.509 certificate on the SafeLinx Server and then configure an HTTPS mobile network connection (MNC) to use that certificate. You can also specify whether the service uses standard TLS ciphers to encrypt the connection or if it must use ciphers that are FIPS 140-2 approved.
    - Managing certificates for SafeLinx
      To secure connections between nodes in an HCL SafeLinx deployment over the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol requires X.509 certificates stored in a PKCS12 keystore file.
  - Adding HTTP access services
    Add one or more HTTP access services to provide secure access to internal applications for remote users who do not have the full HCL SafeLinx VPN client (SafeLinx Client) installed.
  - Configuring an HCL Nomad server
    You can configure a SafeLinx as an HCL Nomad server that acts as a proxy for HCL Nomad clients.
  - Adding authentication profiles
    Add an authentication profile to specify how HCL SafeLinx authenticates users before it permits access to application servers. SafeLinx supports the following authentication methods: LDAP-bind, RADIUS, and certificate-based.
  - Adding a mobile access service
    If there is no mobile access service configured for the SafeLinx Server, you can add one.
  - Adding messaging services
    Add messaging services to the SafeLinx Server to enable applications to send messages to messaging clients, such as a pager or a phone, over mobile wireless networks. Messaging services include support for short message service (SMS) delivery, and mobile-originated message delivery.
  - Adding users
    If your SafeLinx deployment does not use an external LDAP or RADIUS authentication server, use SafeLinx Administrator to create user accounts. You can add users individually or in a batch mode.
- Administering
  The SafeLinx Administrator administration client is the primary tool for viewing, adding, configuring, and managing HCL SafeLinx resources. Along with the SafeLinx Administrator, you can use the HCL SafeLinx Monitor to view information about packet flow through the SafeLinx Server. You can also use a set of command line tools to perform common SafeLinx Server tasks.
- Programming reference
  There are several programming considerations of which you might want to take advantage.
- Database schema information
  HCL SafeLinx uses a DB2, Oracle, MySQL, or SQL database to store tables of information about current and past activity of SafeLinx Server sessions. The following tables are created and accessed by using the qualifier name wg for DB2 installations.
- Step by step: Nomad configuration
  Here are step-by-step instructions that serve as an example of how to install and configure HCL SafeLinx for Nomad on MySQL on Linux.

Securing communications between the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager

By default, the SafeLinx Administrator communicates with the access manager over an unencrypted connection. If you run SafeLinx Administrator from a computer that is remote to the SafeLinx Server, you can use TLS protocols to encrypt communications between the two nodes. Use a third-party tool such as OpenSSL to manage the X.509 certificates that are required to establish a secure SafeLinx Administrator session.

About this task

To support secure TLS connections from SafeLinx Administrator clients, you install a set of public key certificates in an access manager PKCS12 keystore file. The default keystore file is sl-default.p12. You can use the default file or create your own keystore file.

To force remote SafeLinx Administrator clients to use a TLS connection, configure the access manager to accept remote connections that use TLS only.

Procedure

Obtain a certificate and add it to the access manager PKCS12 keystore file on the SafeLinx Server server. For information, see Generating a server certificate from a certificate authority.
Transfer the signer certificate to the computer that runs SafeLinx Administrator.
- If you obtained a third-party certificate, transfer the signer certificate file to the SafeLinx Administrator computer.
  Note: The default PKCS12 keystore file that is installed with the SafeLinx Administrator might include a signer certificate for the CA from which you received your personal certificate. However, it is best to use the version of the signer certificate that you receive from the CA.
- If you created a self-signed certificate, extract the certificate to a file and then copy the file to the SafeLinx Administrator computer.
Browse for the certificate file that you want to add and click OK.
Type a label for the certificate, then click OK.

What to do next

To complete the TLS configuration, edit the access manager properties to require secure SafeLinx Administrator connections and specify the PKCS12 keystore file and password.

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