Uploading a Wildcard SSL Certificate to SolarWinds Service Desk

5/16/2024 10:03 PM

4/17/2026 10:24 AM

This article provides step-by-step guidance for uploading a Wildcard SSL certificate to SolarWinds Service Desk, including both the initial upload process and the renewal process.

It also explains key prerequisites, including domain verification requirements, supported certificate and private key formats, where to obtain the private key, and how to convert a P12/PFX certificate into a usable format when needed.

Service Desk

Before you begin

Before uploading a Wildcard SSL certificate, confirm the following:

• Your custom domain has already been added under Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Domain Management.
• The required CNAME and TXT records have been added.
• The certificate content starts with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----.
• The private key content starts with -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----.
• The certificate is in CRT, or CER format, and the private key is in KEY format.
• PEM file can also be used. In many cases, a PEM file contains both the certificate and the private key.
• If the certificate file is provided in PFX or P12 format, it must be converted to PEM before upload.

 

Full chain certificate requirement

The certificate uploaded to SolarWinds Service Desk must now be provided as a full chain certificate. Paste the certificates in this order:

• Domain/Leaf certificate
• Intermediate certificate(s)
• Root certificate

If the certificate chain is incomplete, the upload may fail with Certificate Issuer is missing. If the certificates are in the wrong order, you may see a DNS TXT record prompt error; in that case, make sure the signed certificate is first, followed by the remaining chain certificates in order.

Sample full chain certificate

Use the following sample format when pasting the certificate chain:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Domain Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Intermediate Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Root Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Note: Some certificate authorities provide multiple intermediate certificates. Please ensure that all certificates from the CA bundle are included when uploading the certificate. SolarWinds does not provide the private key; it must be obtained separately. If you are unsure how to retrieve it, please contact your Network Administrator.

 

Initial upload process

Use these steps if this is the first time you are uploading a Wildcard SSL certificate in SolarWinds Service Desk.

• Go to Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Certificate Management.
• Click Upload.

• Paste the Full Chain Certificate and Private Key into the appropriate fields.
• After the certificate and private key are uploaded, the status will show as Pending Upload.

• Click Publish to complete the process.

Note: After clicking Publish, a prompt will indicate that the certificate is being processed. This process can take up to 48 hours, and you will be notified once it is successfully completed.

 

Renewal process

Use these steps when you are renewing an existing Wildcard SSL certificate.

• Go to Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Certificate Management.
• Hover over the Actions column and delete the existing certificate.

• The status will change to Pending Delete. The current certificate will only be removed after the replacement certificate is successfully uploaded.
• Click Upload.

• Paste the Full Chain Certificate and the matching Private Key.
• Confirm the new certificate shows as Pending Upload.

• Click Publish to complete the renewal.

Note: After clicking Publish, a prompt will indicate that the certificate is being processed. This process can take up to 48 hours, and you will be notified once it is successfully completed.

Warning: If you are renewing the certificate, do not click Publish unless the replacement certificate has already been uploaded. Otherwise, the existing SSL certificate may be removed from SolarWinds Service Desk, and the site may go down.

 

Converting a P12 or PFX certificate before upload

If the certificate is provided in P12/PFX format, it must be converted before upload because the certificate and private key need to be imported separately.

Convert PFX or P12 to PEM

Use the following OpenSSL command to convert the file to PEM:

• openssl pkcs12 -in filename.pfx -out filename.pem -nodes

In many cases, the resulting PEM file contains both the certificate and the private key.

Convert PFX or P12 to CRT and KEY

Use the following OpenSSL commands to extract the certificate and private key as separate files:

• openssl pkcs12 -in filename.pfx -clcerts -nokeys -out filename.crt
• openssl pkcs12 -in filename.pfx -nocerts -nodes -out filename.key

After conversion, confirm that you have the certificate content and the private key content available for upload. If you generate separate files, use the CRT file for the certificate content and the KEY file for the private key content.

Note: The private key is commonly encrypted with a password in the original file and must be converted to a non-encrypted format before import can succeed.

 

Validation and troubleshooting

Before uploading, make sure the certificate matches the private key.

You can use a 3rd party tool to validate the certificate and private key. Here's an example tool: SSL Shopper Certificate Key Matcher.

Please note that SolarWinds does not provide a private key. The private key must be obtained from the DNS server. If you are unsure how to get it, please contact your Network Administrator. You can also refer to this article for guidance: Where's my private key?.

If you encounter any issues or errors while uploading the certificate, or need assistance during the process, please contact technicalsupport@solarwinds.com.