How to Generate CSR and Install SSL Certificate on Microsoft Exchange Server 2019

Installing an SSL certificate on your Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 is an important step for securing email communications happening through it. An SSL certificate simply encrypts the communication between your server and clients, making sure that sensitive information remains private and secure.

In this article, we will detail a simple, step-by-step process for generating a CSR and installing an SSL certificate on your Exchange Server.

What are the Prerequisites?

Before we go into the installation process, have the following prerequisites ready.

Server Certificate

This is the main certificate that a Certificate Authority (CA) issues.
Intermediate Certificates

These certificates are provided by the Certificate Authority as a part of the validation process to establish a chain of trust between your server certificate and the root certificate.
Private Key

A secure key is generated alongside your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) that is essential for decrypting information sent to your server.

Having these components ready will make the installation process quicker and prevent potential issues.

Generate CSR on Microsoft Exchange Server

Generating a CSR is a crucial step in acquiring an SSL certificate. To create a CSR on Microsoft Exchange Server 2019, follow these steps:

Open the Exchange Management Shell in Administrator mode.
Run the following command to initiate the CSR generation:
```
New-ExchangeCertificate -GenerateRequest -KeySize 2048 -Subject "CN=yourdomain.com" -DomainName "yourdomain.com", "mail.yourdomain.com" -PrivateKeyExportable $true -Path "C:\path\to\your\csr.txt"
```
Make sure to replace yourdomain.com with the name of your domain address. Also, change the “C:\path\to\your\csr.txt” to your desired path and filename.
If you would like to verify the file contents in your exchange management shell, you can do that with the following command.
```
Get-Content "<file_name>.csr"
```
Once your CSR is generated, submit it to your chosen Certificate Authority and get an SSL certificate issued for your exchange server.

SSL Installation Steps for Microsoft Exchange Server

After receiving your SSL certificate from the CA, you can proceed with the steps below for installation.

Step 1: Upload Certificates to Your Server

Extract the ZIP file provided by your CA.
Open a text editor and copy the contents of both the primary and intermediate certificates.
Save these files securely on your server.

Step 2: Create Certificate Snap-in

To manage certificates in Windows, you need to create a Certificate Snap-in

Press Windows + R type Microsoft Management Console and hit Enter.
In the MMC console, go to File > Add/Remove Snap-in.
Select Certificates from the list and click Add.
Choose Computer Account > Next > Local Computer > Finish.
Close the snap-ins window, go to the Add or Remove Snap-ins window > Click OK.

Step 3: Install Intermediate Certificate

Go to the MMC console and expand the Certificates (Local Computer) section.
Double-click on the Intermediate Certification Authorities folder in the left-side pane.
Navigate to the Certificates option, right-click on it, and select All Tasks > Import.
The Certificate Import Wizard will open. Click Next.
Locate your Intermediate Certificate file and click Next.
Select Place all certificates in the following store, and choose Intermediate Certificate Authorities and click OK
To complete the import process, click Finish.

Step 4: Install Primary SSL Certificate

In MMC, navigate to Start > Programs > Microsoft Exchange > System Manager.
Expand the First Administrative Group under Administrative Groups
Click on the Exchange Server Container within the Servers folder, then proceed to Protocols to choose the protocols you wish to configure.
Open the Certificate Wizard by selecting the Access tab and clicking on Certificate, then opt for Process the pending request and install the certificate.
Enter the file path of your SSL certificate, check the summary, and press Finish to conclude the installation process.

Upon finishing these actions, your SSL certificate will be installed correctly.

Installing SSL certificate on Exchange 2019

To install SSL certificate on Exchange Server 2019, follow the below steps

First, log into the EAC and head over to Servers > Certificates.
Find the Exchange server you want to use and select it.
Click on the More Options (with three dots) and pick Import Exchange Certificate.
This will open the Import Exchange Certificate wizard. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- For a File to import from, just type in the Universal Naming Convention path and filename of your certificate file.
- If your certificate is password-secured, enter to unlock it.
Hit Next to continue.
On the next screen, when asked which servers to apply the certificate to, click the Add+ button.
Select your Exchange Server, click Add, and then OK.
Once the certificate is imported, go back to Servers > Certificates in the EAC.
Select your certificate and click Edit.
You’ll be asked to select the services you want to assign the certificate to (SMTP, IMAP, IIS, etc.). Pick the ones you need.
Finally, hit Save to complete the process.

Once these steps are completed, your SSL certificate will be fully operational.

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Related Articles:

How to Generate CSR and Install SSL Certificate on Microsoft Exchange Server 2019?

What are the Prerequisites?

Server Certificate

Intermediate Certificates

Private Key