A DevOps engineer is setting up a secure internal web endpoint for a microservice and needs to enroll it into the organization's Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Which of the following represents the correct sequential order of operational steps required to successfully obtain and deploy an X.509 certificate, from initial key creation to final service binding?
- 1Generate a private key locally on the microservice host and construct a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) containing the public key and subject identity parameters.
- 2Submit the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to the Certificate Authority (CA) or Registration Authority (RA) for identity validation.
- 3The Certificate Authority (CA) signs the request using its private key and issues the X.509 digital certificate.
- 4Install the signed digital certificate alongside the intermediate CA trust chain onto the microservice web engine.
Answer
The correct operational sequence begins with local private key generation and CSR creation, followed by submitting the CSR to the CA for identity verification, receiving the CA-signed certificate, and concluding with importing the certificate and trust chain onto the web host.
The correct order follows the standard PKI lifecycle: local key generation and CSR creation must occur first, followed by CSR submission to the CA, CA signing/issuance using the CA's private key, and finally server binding with intermediate certificates included to establish the complete chain of trust.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
PKI Certificate Enrollment Lifecycle