Security Configurations Supported by WAN Boot (Overview)

WAN boot supports varying levels of security. You can use a combination of the security features that are supported in WAN boot to meet the needs of your network. A more secure configuration requires more administration, but also protects your system data to a greater extent. For more critical systems, or those systems you want to install over a public network, you might choose the configuration in Secure WAN Boot Installation Configuration. For less critical systems, or systems on semi-private networks, consider the configuration that is described in Insecure WAN Boot Installation Configuration.

This section briefly describes the different configurations you can use to set the level of security for your WAN boot installation. The section also describes the security mechanisms that are required by these configurations.

Secure WAN Boot Installation Configuration

This configuration protects the integrity of the data exchanged between the server and client, and helps keep the contents of the exchange confidential. This configuration uses an HTTPS connection, and uses either the 3DES or AES algorithm to encrypt the client configuration files. This configuration also requires the server to authenticate itself to the client during the installation. A secure WAN boot installation requires the following security features.

• HTTPS enabled on the WAN boot server and the install server

• HMAC SHA1 hashing key on the WAN boot server and the client

• 3DES or AES encryption key for the WAN boot server and the client

• Digital certificate of a certificate authority for the WAN boot server

If you want to also require client authentication during the installation, you must also use the following security features.

• Private key for the WAN boot server

• Digital certificate for the client

For a list of the tasks that are required to install with this configuration, see Table 11-1.

Insecure WAN Boot Installation Configuration

This security configuration requires the least administration effort, but provides the least secure transfer of data from the web server to the client. You do not need to create a hashing key, encryption key, or digital certificates. You do not need to configure your web server to use HTTPS. However, this configuration transfers the installation data and files over an HTTP connection, which leaves your installation vulnerable to interception over the network.

If you want the client to check the integrity of the data that is transmitted, you can use a HMAC SHA1 hashing key with this configuration. However, the Solaris Flash archive is not protected by the hashing key. The archive is transferred insecurely between the server and the client during the installation.

For a list of the tasks that are required to install with this configuration, see Table 11-2.