Centralized certificate management platform: an ansible journey

ABOUT

We delivered automated and centralized certificate management solution for general certificate management as well as for secure acme.sh deployments to an ISP based in Poland. We helped customer reduced the services downtime during certificate generation and deployment and also reduced the certificate deployment time from 2 hours to 10 minutes.

Centralized certificate management streamlines security protocols by consolidating certificate issuance and monitoring under one centralized system.

This approach enhances efficiency and ensures comprehensive oversight, bolstering the integrity of digital infrastructures.

CHALLENGES

Server infrastructure overview: The customer operated a substantial number of servers dedicated to hosting various websites. These servers hosted anywhere from 1 to 10 or more websites, each requiring SSL certificates for secure communication.
Certificate management complexity: Each server managed its SSL certificates independently, utilizing either Acme.sh, Letsencrypt, or occasionally wildcard certificates procured elsewhere. The decentralized approach resulted in disparate automation processes across servers, potentially leading to inefficiencies and increased management overhead.

SOLUTIONS

Centralized solution development: Recognizing the need for streamlining certificate management, our team embarked on developing a centralized solution using Ansible. The Ansible-driven solution aimed to centralize certificate management tasks, simplifying the process and enhancing overall efficiency.
Enhanced security measures: As part of the solution, measures were implemented to enhance the security of Acme.sh deployments. This likely involved implementing best practices for certificate management, such as secure storage and encryption protocols, to safeguard sensitive certificate data.

RESULTS

Reduced downtime: By centralizing certificate management and standardizing processes, our team succeeded in minimizing downtime for hosted services. Notably, the ability to swiftly swap certificate generation types likely contributed to minimizing disruptions during certificate updates or renewals.
Improved deployment speed: One of the key achievements of the centralized solution was the significant reduction in certificate deployment time. The deployment time decreased from a lengthy 2 hours to a mere 10 minutes, showcasing the efficiency gains achieved through automation and centralized management.
Operational efficiency: The streamlined certificate management process not only reduced downtime and deployment time but also led to overall operational efficiency gains. With a centralized solution in place, administrative tasks related to certificate management became more manageable and less resource-intensive.
Scalability and flexibility: The centralized certificate management solution likely offered scalability and flexibility to accommodate the customer’s evolving infrastructure needs. It would have been designed to adapt to changes in the number of servers, websites, or certificate requirements without compromising efficiency or security.
Continuous improvement: Beyond the initial implementation, the team may have continued to refine and optimize the centralized certificate management solution. This could involve incorporating feedback from users, addressing emerging security threats, and leveraging new technologies or methodologies to further enhance efficiency and security.

CONCLUSION

Our centralized certificate management solution revolutionized our customer’s server infrastructure, addressing complexity and enhancing security. With streamlined processes and improved deployment speed, downtime was minimized, and operational efficiency soared. This scalable solution ensures adaptability to evolving needs, while our commitment to continuous improvement guarantees sustained efficiency and security in certificate management.