Configuring IIS to Use SSL/TLS Encryption

Before completing the following process, you must have all your SSL certificates in place to create the chain of trust on all servers. We recommend that you test that Flexera Analytics is working before proceeding with this configuration change.
Important: If you are using a Certificate Authority (CA) that is not one listed by default in Windows certificate stores, the CA's root certificate need to be imported into all user's computers to ensure secure communication between their web browsers and the Flexera Analytics server.
All servers in your FlexNet Manager Suite implementation must be configured to use Secure Sockets Layer for communication. This includes your Flexera Analytics host, and your application server for FlexNet Manager Suite itself. If you have a larger, multi-server implementation, these changes must be configured on your web application server, your batch server, and your inventory server (or the servers on which you are hosting these areas of functionality). Those FlexNet Manager Suite servers are assumed to be already configured following your installation or most recent upgrade.

To configure IIS on your Flexera Analytics server to use SSL:

  1. Import all relevant certificates into the Windows Local Machine certificate stores.
    Save the certificates as follows:
    • If you have an unusual root certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA) not already known in the Microsoft Windows Trusted Store, save it under Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
    • Your SSL certificate (usually .pfx) is saved under Personal (this is your public key certificate issued by the CA).
    • Any intermediate certificates not already trusted in Windows are saved under Intermediate Certification Authorities.
  2. Launch IIS on your Flexera Analytics server and configure it as follows:
    1. Select the web server for Flexera Analytics.
    2. Open the SSL Certificates feature and import your SSL certificate (usually .pfx).
    3. Add the HTTPS binding for the Flexera Analytics website (usually, this is the default website), and select the displayed SSL certificate to use for encryption.
    4. Open SSL Settings for the default website, and turn on the Require SSL option.
    5. Under the same website, navigate to ibmcognos/bi, and open its URL Rewrite feature.
    6. Update the Reverse Proxy rule to use HTTPS as part of Rewrite URL.
    7. Restart the web server.
With IIS suitably configured on your Flexera Analytics server, you now need to reconfigure Cognos to use your preferred certificates in place of the default certificates installed with it.
Important: To enable SSL between your Flexera Analytics web server and Cognos, you must configure one of the following steps (you cannot configure both):