You can configure the Rational® DOORS® database server and client to communicate over secure sockets in compliance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publications (NIST SP) 800-131A standard.
About this task
The NIST SP 800-131A standard specifies both the algorithms to use to strengthen security and the minimum encryption strengths that are required for them. You can configure the compliance as strict or transitional:
- In strict mode, all communication must conform to SP 800-131A. For example, if the Rational DOORS client does not use strict mode but the Rational DOORS server does, the server cannot authenticate users by using certificate login. Strict mode requires TLS 1.2 protocol and SHA2 certificates. To strengthen strict mode, you can require that the full certificate chain, and not only the end certificate, is checked for SHA2 certificates.
- Transitional mode removes a few SP 800-131A requirements and allows communication with components and applications that use SHA1 certificates and the TLS 1, TLS 1.1, or TLS 1.2 protocol.
This configuration is optional. It might impact performance, and it might require new certificates.
Table 1. Command-line switches and registry settingsSwitch and registry setting |
Description |
-sp800-131 |
When this switch is used alone, it enforces strict compliance. To strengthen or weaken this switch, use it with one of the other switches, which are optional. |
-strictSha2 |
This option strengthens strict mode by requiring that the full certificate chain, and not only the end certificate, is checked for SHA2 certificates. For example, a Rational DOORS server that uses a SHA2 certificate that has a SHA1 root can start in secure mode if only SP 800-131A is used. However, if both SP 800-131A and strictSha2 are specified, the server cannot start in secure mode. If -allowSha1 is used, this option is ignored. |
-allowSha1 |
This transitional mode option permits connections that are made with SHA1 certificates, in addition to SHA2. |
-allowSha1 |
This transitional mode option permits connections that are made to TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 protocols, in addition to TLS 1.2. |
Procedure
To configure the Rational DOORS client and database server to comply with NIST SP 800-131A:
- Open a command line and then start the database server and enter options from the table by using the doorsd command. For example:
doorsd -sp800-131 -allowTls10And11 -allowSha1
- From the command line, start the client and enter options from the table by using the doors command. For example:
doors -sp800-131 -allowTls10And11 -allowSha1