Installing an Internal CA on Server 2012

Certificate Authority is a server role introduced by Microsoft, to issue digital certificates to target recipients. These digital certificates enable the environment to communicate securely between each other. 

Installing an internal CA server is not too hard and pretty much straight forward I believe. 

Description :

Installing an Internal CA on Server 2012.

How To Do :

1.  Launch Server Manager, Go to Manage | Add Roles and Features
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2.  Click Next >
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3.  Ensure Role-based or feature-based installation is chosen, and click Next >
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
4.  Ensure the target server is selected from the server pool, and click Next >
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5.  Check / tick Active Directory Certificate Services role
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6.  The Add Roles and Features Wizard appeared. Click at Add Features button.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7.  Click Next > 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8.  Select additional features if needed, then click Next >
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9.  Click Next >
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10.  Check / tick Certificate Authority role service
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
11.  To enable web enrollment, Certificate Authority Web Enrollment role service needs to be enabled as well. Check / tick at it, then click Next > 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
12. Once all confirmed, click Install
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Installing...
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14.  At Server Manager, hover to Notification, and click at at Post-Deployment Configuration to configure Certificate Services role.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
15.  Click Change... if you want to change the credential used, then click Next >
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
16. Select which role services need to be configured, in this case the first two.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
17.  Specify type of CA to be configured, either Enterprise CA or Standalone CA. Click Next > once done.You may refer to below links for better understanding :
    
    
    
    
    Enterprise CA : https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771443(v=ws.11).aspx
    
    
    Stand-Alone CA : https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755290(v=ws.11).aspx
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
18.  Specify whether the server should be a Root CA or Subordinate CA. In this case, Root CA is chosen as this is the  first CA in the environment. Click Next > 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
19.  Specify whether to create a new private key or to use existing private key. You may refer to below link for better understanding on Private Key. Click Next > once done.
    
    
    Link : http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=218060
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
20.  Choose Cryptographic provider, key length, and hash algorithm. Refer to below link for more info on cryptography. Click Next > 
    
    
    Link : http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=218061
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
21.  Specify the name of the CA, then click Next >
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
22.  Specify the validity period of the Certificate, then click Next > 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
23.  Specify the database locations, then click Next >
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
24.  Review the information populated, then click Configure.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
25.  Configuring...
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
26. Done, click Close.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
27.  CA Configured.