SNR S2940-8G-v2 Switch Configuration Guide
SSL Configuration
Chapter 51
SSL Configuration
51.1 Introduction to SSL
As the computer networking technology spreads, the security of the network has been taking more
and more important impact on the availability and the usability of the networking application. The
network security has become one of the greatest barriers of modern networking applications.
To protect sensitive data transferred through Web, Netscape introduced the Secure Socket
Layer - SSL protocol, for its Web browser. Up till now, SSL 2.0 and 3.0 has been released. SSL 2.0
is obsolete because of security problems, and it is not supported on the switches of Network. The
SSL protocol uses the public-key encryption, and has become the industry standard for secure
communication on internet for Web browsing. The Web browser integrates HTTP and SSL to
realize secure communication.
SSL is a safety protocol to protect private data transmission on the Internet. SSL protocols are
designed for secure transmission between the client and the server, and authentication both at
the server sides and optional client. SSL protocols must build on reliable transport layer (such as
TCP). SSL protocols are independent for application layer. Some protocols such as HTTP, FTP,
TELNET and so on, can build on SSL protocols transparently. The SSL protocol negotiates for the
encryption algorithm, the encryption key and the server authentication before data is transmitted.
Ever since the negotiation is done, all the data being transferred will be encrypted.
Via above introduction, the security channel is provided by SSL protocols have below three
characteristics:
• Privacy. First they encrypt the suite through negotiation, then all the messages be encrypted.
• Affirmation. Though the client authentication of the conversational is optional, but the server
is always authenticated.
• Reliability. The message integrality inspect is included in the sending message (use MAC).
51.1.1 Basic Element of SSL
The basic strategy of SSL provides a safety channel for random application data forwarding be-
tween two communication programs. In theory, SSL connect is similar with encrypt TCP connect.
The position of SSL protocol is under application layer and on the TCP. If the mechanism of the
data forwarding in the lower layer is reliable, the data read-in the network will be forwarded to
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