Home
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 with an LDAP server
You can configure Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt communications between the SafeLinx Server and an LDAP server.

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.
    - 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.
      - Editing directory service properties to enable TLS
        After you add the root signer certificate for an LDAP server to the SafeLinx Server, configure the directory service to use secure connections.
    - 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 with an LDAP server

You can configure Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt communications between the SafeLinx Server and an LDAP server.

About this task

To support a TLS connection with an LDAP server, you must store the LDAP server's root signer certificate in a PKCS12 keystore file on the SafeLinx Server. Use a key management tool like OpenSSL to add the certificate to the SafeLinx PKCS12 keyring file. You can use an existing PKCS12 keystore file , such as the one that is used by HTTP access services (sl-default.p12), or you can create your own PKCS12 keystore file. After you save the signer certificate, use the SafeLinx Administrator to specify the names of the PKCS12 keystore file and password files in the directory service properties pages.

In some cases, you can use a web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, to retrieve the signer certificate for the LDAP server. This method is documented in the procedure that follows. If the browser method is unsuccessful, ask the LDAP administrator to extract the certificate and return it to you in a certificate file in .der format.

Procedure

To use Mozilla Firefox to retrieve a signer certificate for the LDAP server, specify type the address of the LDAP server in the location bar, with an https prefix.
For example, type:
```
https://ldap.renovations.com
```
The following message displays:
This Connection is Untrusted.
Click I Understand the Risks, and then click Add Exception...
The certificate is saved automatically to the browser's Certificate Manager.
Open the Firefox menu, click Options and search for View Certificates.
Click View Certificates, and in the Certificates Manager click the Servers tab.
Click the certificate and then click Export...
In the Save Certificate to File window, browse to the directory where you want to save the file, click X.509 Certificate (DER) (*.der) in the Save as type field, and then click Save.
If the file name is not equal to the fully qualified host name of the server, rename the file.

For example, save the file as ldap.renovations.com.der.
Transfer a copy of the file to the SafeLinx Server.

What to do next

To complete the TLS configuration, edit the directory service properties to enable the use of secure connections and to specify the PKCS12 keystore file and file password.

Rate this topic

5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star

Comment on this topic.

By clicking this box, you acknowledge that you are NOT a U.S. Federal Government employee or agency, nor are you submitting information with respect to or on behalf of one. HCL provides software and services to U.S. Federal Government customers through its partners immixGroup, Inc. Contact this team at https://hcltechsw.com/resources/us-government-contact. Do not include any personal data in this Comment box. Note: To report a problem or question about the product software, do not use this form. Instead, go to the HCL Software Support site.