About Validation Responder Appliance

ActivID Validation Responder Appliance (VRA) is a cost effective solution for scaling a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) certificate validation service deployed with the ActivID Validation Authority.

Each Validation Responder Appliance provides a local OSCP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) service providing real time validation without the overhead of connecting to the centralized service.

The ActivID Validation Responder Appliance component ensures the timeliness and availability of certificate status information.

Organizations deploying the ActivID Responder Appliance benefit from increased security and trust by validating certificates at time of usage, without negatively impacting end user experience.

Product Overview

There are two types of Validation Responder Appliance:

  • Hardware

  • Virtual (VMware®)

The configuration information is common to both appliance types, unless noted otherwise.

The Validation Responder Appliance is available in two configurations:

  • As a hardware appliance: Dell PowerEdge R240 rackmount server

  • As a virtual appliance: Image compatible with VMware®

Certificate Validation System Overview

ActivID Validation Responder Appliances service OCSP requests using pre-signed OCSP responses published by the ActivID Validation Authority. Each Validation Responder Appliance provides a local OSCP service that provides real-time validation without the overhead of connecting to the centralized service. It is ideal for large organizations seeking to implement real-time validation services across multiple regional networks.

ActivID Validation Responder Appliances also retrieve certification path data from one or more Validation Authorities and uses this information to respond to SCVP - DPD requests. Responder Appliances do not perform any security-sensitive functions nor store any sensitive data. They are not capable of responding to SCVP - DPV requests. A DPD deployment typically includes one or more Validation Responder Appliances.

The ActivID Validation Responder Appliances provide the following configuration tools:

  • Validation Responder Appliance initial configuration script.

  • A web-based management console.

  • A web-based status display providing system status, OCSP request, and response history.

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