Windows Server CA step 1: Set up the prerequisites

To set up the prerequisites for a Windows Server CA with AWS CloudHSM

1. Complete the steps in Getting started. When you launch the Amazon EC2 client, choose a Windows Server AMI. This tutorial uses Microsoft Windows Server 2016. When you complete these steps, you have an active cluster with at least one HSM. You also have an Amazon EC2 client instance running Windows Server with the AWS CloudHSM client software for Windows installed.

2. (Optional) Add more HSMs to your cluster. For more information, see Adding an HSM.

3. Connect to your client instance. For more information, see Connect to Your Instance in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

4. Create a crypto user (CU)using Managing HSM users with CloudHSM CLI or Managing HSM users with CloudHSM Management Utility (CMU). Keep track of the CU user name and password. You will need them to complete the next step.

5. Set the login credentials for the HSM, using the CU user name and password that you created in the previous step.

6. In step 5, if you used Windows Credentials Manager to set HSM credentials, download psexec.exe from SysInternals to run the following command as NT Authority\SYSTEM:

   
   psexec.exe -s "C:\Program Files\Amazon\CloudHsm\tools\set_cloudhsm_credentials.exe" --username <USERNAME> --password <PASSWORD>

   Replace <USERNAME> and <PASSWORD> with the HSM credentials.