IP Library Granted Patent US 9,614,833
Granted Patent B1
US 9,614,833 · App. 14/530,315 · Granted Apr 4, 2017

Automated certificate management for a website associated with multiple certificates

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,614,833
App. No.
14/530,315
Granted
Apr 4, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to automate the discovery, installation, and renewal of multiple digital certificates deployed on a server application, such as a web server. For example, a management tool may discover and manage multiple digital certificates associated with a server application hosted at an internet protocol (IP) address and port on a server computing system. A certificate management tool examines server configuration data to identify a set of certificates associated with the server application. Based on the information from the configuration data, the tool retrieves and examines each certificate to identify certificate metadata needed to manage the lifecycle of each identified certificate.

Claims (52)

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a plurality of digital certificates deployed on a server computing system, the method comprising:

identifying, in server configuration data stored on the server computing system, two or more digital certificates associated with a first server application hosted at an IP address and port on the server computing system, wherein each digital certificate is used to establish secure communication sessions between the server application and clients;

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the first server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period; and

managing a lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, in the server configuration data stored on the server computing system, one or more digital certificates associated with a second server application hosted at the IP address and port;

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the second server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period; and

managing a lifecycle of each of digital certificate associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first server application and the second server application have distinct hostnames.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein managing the lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application:

identifying one or more of the digital certificates to be renewed based on the recorded validity period;

generating, for each of the digital certificates to be renewed, a certificate signing request (CSR) submitted to a issuing certificate authority (CA);

receiving, for each CSR, a digital certificate; and

deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system includes updating the server configuration data to reference each replacement certificate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more digital certificates associated with the first server application each employ a distinct key generation algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server application is a web server hosting one or more websites, and wherein the configuration data stored on the server computing system provides configuration data for each of the one or more web sites.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a processor, performs an operation for managing a plurality of digital certificates deployed on a server computing system, the operation comprising:

identifying, in server configuration data stored on the server computing system, two or more digital certificates associated with a first server application hosted at an IP address and port on the server computing system, wherein each digital certificate is used to establish secure communication sessions between the server application and clients;

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the first server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period; and

managing a lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operation further comprises:

identifying, in the server configuration data stored on the server computing system, one or more digital certificates associated with a second server application hosted at the IP address and port;

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the second server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period; and

managing a lifecycle of each of digital certificate associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first server application and the second server application have distinct hostnames.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein managing the lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application:

identifying one or more of the digital certificates to be renewed based on the recorded validity period;

generating, for each of the digital certificates to be renewed, a certificate signing request (CSR) submitted to a issuing certificate authority (CA);

receiving, for each CSR, a digital certificate; and

deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system includes updating the server configuration data to reference each replacement certificate.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the two or more digital certificates associated with the first server application each employ a distinct key generation algorithm.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the server application is a web server hosting one or more websites, and wherein the configuration data stored on the server computing system provides configuration data for each of the one or more web sites.

15. A server computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory hosting a certificate discovery and management application, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation for managing a plurality of digital certificates deployed on the server computing system, the operation comprising:

identifying, in server configuration data stored on the server computing system, two or more digital certificates associated with a first server application hosted at an IP address and port on the server computing system, wherein each digital certificate is used to establish secure communication sessions between the server application and clients,

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the first server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period, and

managing a lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operation further comprises:

identifying, in the server configuration data stored on the server computing system, one or more digital certificates associated with a second server application hosted at the IP address and port;

recording, for each digital certificate associated with the second server application, metadata indicating at least a validity period; and

managing a lifecycle of each of digital certificate associated with the first server application based on the recorded metadata.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first server application and the second server application have distinct hostnames.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein managing the lifecycle of one or more of the digital certificates associated with the first server application:

identifying one or more of the digital certificates to be renewed based on the recorded validity period;

generating, for each of the digital certificates to be renewed, a certificate signing request (CSR) submitted to a issuing certificate authority (CA);

receiving, for each CSR, a digital certificate; and

deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein deploying each replacement digital certificate on the server computing system includes updating the server configuration data to reference each replacement certificate.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the server application is a web server hosting one or more websites, and wherein the configuration data stored on the server computing system provides configuration data for each of the one or more web sites.

Assignments (11)
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTERESTS IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN), RECORDED ON OCTOBER 16, 2019 AT REEL 050741 FRAME 0918 Recorded Sep 24, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR TO CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS RESIGNING AGENT
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 072947/0157 →
SECOND LIEN NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS PRIOR AGENT
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 072300/0068 →
ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 19, 2021
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS EXISTING AGENT
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 055345/0042 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Oct 17, 2019
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DIGICERT, INC.; GEOTRUST, LLC
Reel/Frame 050746/0973 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Oct 17, 2019
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DIGICERT, INC.; GEOTRUST, LLC
Reel/Frame 050747/0001 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 16, 2019
From: DIGICERT, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050741/0899 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 16, 2019
From: DIGICERT, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050741/0918 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 3, 2017
From: DIGICERT, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044681/0556 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 3, 2017
From: DIGICERT, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044710/0529 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2017
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
To: DIGICERT, INC.
Reel/Frame 044344/0650 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2014
From: RAO, AKSHATA KRISHNAMOORTHY
To: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034084/0360 →