Move an SSL Certificate from a Tomcat/Java Server to OpenSSL

Quick Steps to Move an SSL Certificate from a Tomcat Java Server to OpenSSL

Out of all the server transfers involving SSL certificates, it can be safely said that moving from Tomcat or Java Server to OpenSSL is one of the easiest processes. It is due to the involvement of simple and easy steps.

So to move an SSl certificate from a Tomcat/Java server to OpenSSL, you can follow these general steps:

Step 1

Export the SSL certificate and private key from the Tomcat Java server. This can typically be done by exporting the certificate as a .p12 or .pfx file. You can use the keytool utility that comes with the Java JDK to do this. Here is an example command:

keytool -importkeystore -srckeystore keystore.jks -srcstoretype JKS -destkeystore certificate.p12 -deststoretype PKCS12

This command will create a .p12 file called certificate.p12 that contains the certificate and key. You will need to provide the path to the keystore file on the Tomcat server and enter the keystore password. You may also need to enter a password to protect the .p12 file.

Step 2

Copy the .p12 file to the OpenSSL server. You can use a secure method such as SFTP or SCP to transfer the file from the Tomcat server to the OpenSSL server.

Step 3

Convert the .p12 file to separate certificate and key files on the OpenSSL server. You can do this by running a command.

openssl pkcs12 -in certificate.p12 -out certificate.txt -nodes

This will create a text file called “certificate.txt” that contains the certificate and key data.

Step 4

You can then open the text file in a text editor and copy the data to separate certificate and key files.

Step 5

Install the certificate and key on the OpenSSL server. You can do this by placing the certificate and key files in the appropriate locations and editing the OpenSSL configuration file to specify the locations of the certificate and key files. You will also need to enable SSL for the website that you want to secure with the certificate.

By following these steps, you should be able to move an SSL certificate from a Tomcat Java server to OpenSSL. Apart from the steps mentioned, you can simply just generate a new CSR in OpenSSL and get your certificate reissued by your Certificate authority.