Chapter 18. Decommissioning a server that performs the CA renewal server and CRL publisher roles

You might have one server performing both the Certificate Authority (CA) renewal server role and the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) publisher role. If you need to take this server offline or decommission it, select and configure another CA server to perform these roles.

In this example, the host server.idm.example.com, which fulfills the CA renewal server and CRL publisher roles, must be decommissioned. This procedure transfers the CA renewal server and CRL publisher roles to the host replica.idm.example.com and removes server.idm.example.com from the IdM environment.

Note

You do not need to configure the same server to perform both CA renewal server and CRL publisher roles.

Prerequisites

  • You have the IdM administrator credentials.
  • You have the root password for the server you are decommissioning.
  • You have at least two CA replicas in your IdM environment.

Procedure

  1. Obtain the IdM administrator credentials: 

    [user@server ~]$ kinit admin
Password for admin@IDM.EXAMPLE.COM:

  2. (Optional) If you are not sure which servers perform the CA renewal server and CRL publisher roles:

    1. Display the current CA renewal server. You can run the following command from any IdM server: 

      [user@server ~]$ ipa config-show | grep 'CA renewal'
  IPA CA renewal master: server.idm.example.com

    2. Test if a host is the current CRL publisher. 

      [user@server ~]$ ipa-crlgen-manage status
CRL generation: enabled
Last CRL update: 2019-10-31 12:00:00
Last CRL Number: 6
The ipa-crlgen-manage command was successful

      A CA server that does not generate the CRL displays CRL generation: disabled. 

      [user@replica ~]$ ipa-crlgen-manage status
CRL generation: disabled
The ipa-crlgen-manage command was successful

      Continue entering this command on CA servers until you find the CRL publisher server.

    3. Display all other CA servers you can promote to fulfill these roles. This environment has two CA servers. 

      [user@server ~]$ ipa server-role-find --role 'CA server'
----------------------
2 server roles matched
----------------------
  Server name: server.idm.example.com
  Role name: CA server
  Role status: enabled
  Server name: replica.idm.example.com
  Role name: CA server
  Role status: enabled
----------------------------
Number of entries returned 2
----------------------------

  3. Set replica.idm.example.com as the CA renewal server. 

    [user@server ~]$ ipa config-mod --ca-renewal-master-server replica.idm.example.com

  4. On server.idm.example.com:

    1. Disable the certificate updater task: 

      [root@server ~]# pki-server ca-config-set ca.certStatusUpdateInterval 0

    2. Restart IdM services: 

      [user@server ~]$ ipactl restart

  5. On replica.idm.example.com:

    1. Enable the certificate updater task: 

      [root@server ~]# pki-server ca-config-unset ca.certStatusUpdateInterval

    2. Restart IdM services: 

      [user@replica ~]$ ipactl restart

  6. On server.idm.example.com, stop generating the CRL. 

    [user@server ~]$ ipa-crlgen-manage disable
Stopping pki-tomcatd
Editing /var/lib/pki/pki-tomcat/conf/ca/CS.cfg
Starting pki-tomcatd
Editing /etc/httpd/conf.d/ipa-pki-proxy.conf
Restarting httpd
CRL generation disabled on the local host. Please make sure to configure CRL generation on another master with ipa-crlgen-manage enable.
The ipa-crlgen-manage command was successful

  7. On replica.idm.example.com, start generating the CRL. 

    [user@replica ~]$ ipa-crlgen-manage enable
Stopping pki-tomcatd
Editing /var/lib/pki/pki-tomcat/conf/ca/CS.cfg
Starting pki-tomcatd
Editing /etc/httpd/conf.d/ipa-pki-proxy.conf
Restarting httpd
Forcing CRL update
CRL generation enabled on the local host. Please make sure to have only a single CRL generation master.
The ipa-crlgen-manage command was successful

  8. Stop IdM services on server.idm.example.com: 

    [user@server ~]$ ipactl stop

  9. On replica.idm.example.com, delete server.idm.example.com from the IdM environment. 

    [user@replica ~]$ ipa server-del server.idm.example.com

  10. On server.idm.example.com, use the ipa-server-install --uninstall command as the root account: 

    [root@server ~]# ipa-server-install --uninstall
...
Are you sure you want to continue with the uninstall procedure? [no]: yes

Verification steps

  • Display the current CA renewal server. 

    [user@replica ~]$ ipa config-show | grep 'CA renewal'
  IPA CA renewal master: replica.idm.example.com

  • Confirm that the replica.idm.example.com host is generating the CRL. 

    [user@replica ~]$ ipa-crlgen-manage status
CRL generation: enabled
Last CRL update: 2019-10-31 12:10:00
Last CRL Number: 7
The ipa-crlgen-manage command was successful

Additional resources