SSL Certificate Management for FileMaker Server

Intermediate

Manage SSL certificate lifecycle: installation, renewal, expiration monitoring, and emergency replacement.

What you'll learn

  • The certificate lifecycle from issuance to expiration
  • How to install a custom CA-signed certificate on FileMaker Server
  • Monitoring certificate expiration proactively
  • Emergency certificate replacement procedure

SSL certificate management is an operational responsibility that is often neglected until a certificate expires and clients start reporting connection errors. A systematic approach to certificate lifecycle management prevents the most common SSL failure mode: an expired certificate that breaks all client connections simultaneously.

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Certificate lifecycle overview

Every SSL certificate has: an issue date, a validity period (typically 90 days for Let's Encrypt, 1-2 years for CA-issued), and an expiration date. FileMaker Server must be restarted to load a new certificate. The lifecycle management task is: renew before expiry + restart to activate.

TEXT
// Certificate lifecycle management schedule:
// Day 0:    Certificate installed + server restarted
// Day 60+:  Renewal initiated (30 days before expiry)
// Day 60+:  Server restarted to activate renewed cert
// Day 90:   Old cert would have expired (avoided by restart)

// Monitoring: alert at 30 days before expiry
Let's Encrypt Certificates for FileMaker ServerFileMaker Local Account Authentication

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