Create Key Sets

You need to create key sets (.dst files) for your network nodes if:

• you chose not to create them via the ViPNet Network Creation Wizard the first time you ran ViPNet Manager.
• you have made changes to the network structure.

To create key sets:

1. Check your configuration for any conflicting or insufficient data. Note: If you have any conflicts, the key sets creation won't run.
2. Check you are happy with the rules that will be used to create user passwords.
3. Either:
   1. Click , or
   2. Select Tools > Keys > Create key sets from the menu bar.

      Note: These options will be disabled if the network structure has not changed.

      If there is conflicting or incomplete data in your network configuration, the Verification of ViPNet network configuration dialog box appears:

      

      If there is conflicting data, you must resolve it before you create key sets. If there is just incomplete data, you can click the Skip button and continue to create key sets. However, after installing ViPNet software with such key sets, you will probably need to do some manual settings on each network node.

      The Digital Roulette (random number generator) appears:

      

4. Follow the instructions described in the window. If key sets are being created for the first time, the following message about creating a root certificate for the ViPNet Manager administrator appears:

   

5. Click OK. The Certificate Request window appears:

   

   By default, the Administrator is the owner of the root certificate and the certificate is given a validity period of five years. You can change these details and others via the Subject and Validity tabs.

6. Click OK to continue.

   All created key sets files, user passwords and administrator passwords are put into the \NCC\KEYS subfolder of the ViPNet Manager installation folder. Key sets are saved in files with a .dst extension and these files are put in folders named after the network nodes. ViPNet user passwords are saved in the ViPNet.txt file (passwords list). Administrator passwords are saved in the ViPNet_a.txt file.

   If you are re-creating key sets because you have just made changes to your network structure, the changed key set files are saved into the \NCC\CHANGED_KEYS subfolder.

   The Key sets creation dialog box appears:

   

7. To send key sets:
   • now, click OK and send follow the send key process.
   • later, remove the tick from the Send key sets check box and click OK.
8. To open the folder that contains the key sets, select Tools > Keys > Key sets from the menu bar.
9. To open the folder that contains key sets that have changed and not yet been sent, select Tools > Keys > Key sets not sent from the menu bar.
10. For future use, create a backup copy of the \NCC\Keys subfolder on a separate media (eg, floppy, USB-flash or CD). The key set information is then easily accessible when installing software on client and coordinator computers. Note: Make sure the media can be used by those computers.
11. To display the location of a key set file for a selected network node as well as its unique password and password phrase, select the network node and click the Keys tab.
12. If this is the first time you have created key sets, write down the user password for the ViPNet Manager's workstation.

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