Task 6: Create Load Balancer and Attach Certificate

Step 1: Create the Load Balancer

Log in to the OCI Console.

Navigate to Networking > Load Balancers .

Click Create Load Balancer .

Enter the following details:

Name : PBT-CERT-LB-01

Compartment : Select your assigned compartment.

Load Balancer Type : Select Public .

Virtual Cloud Network : Select PBT-CERT-VCN-01.

Subnet : Select LB-Subnet-PBT-CERT-SNET-02.

Shape : Choose a shape (e.g., 10 Mbps, adjust based on needs).

Click Next .

Leave backend sets and listeners as default for now (we’ll configure the listener next).

Click Create Load Balancer and wait for it to be provisioned.

Step 2: Create a Listener

Once the load balancer is created, go to the Load Balancers page and click on PBT-CERT-LB-01.

Under Resources , click Listeners .

Click Create Listener .

Enter the following details:

Name : PBT-CERT-LB_LTSN_01

Protocol : Select HTTPS .

Port : Enter 443.

Certificate : Click Add Certificate , then select the PBT-CERT-01 < username > certificate (e.g., PBT-CERT-0199008677labuser01) created in Task 5.

Leave other settings (e.g., SSL handling) as default unless specified.

Click Create .

Step 3: Configure the Backend Set

In the PBT-CERT-LB-01 details page, under Resources , click Backend Sets .

Click Create Backend Set (if not already created).

Enter basic details (e.g., name like PBT-CERT-BS-01).

Add a backend server:

IP Address : Use the private IP of PBT-CERT-VM-01 (find this in the instance details under Compute > Instances ).

Port : 80 (HTTP, as configured on the web server).

Protocol : HTTP.

Click Create .

Step 4: Attach the Security List to the Subnet

Navigate to Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks .

Select PBT-CERT-VCN-01 and click Subnets .

Click on LB-Subnet-PBT-CERT-SNET-02.

Under Security Lists , ensure PBT-CERT-LB-SL-01 is attached. If not:

Click Edit .

Remove the default security list and add PBT-CERT-LB-SL-01.

Click Save Changes .

Step 5: Verify the Configuration

Ensure the load balancer health status is OK (check under Backend Sets > Health ).

Test by accessing https:// < load-balancer-public-ip > in a browser (replace with the public IP from the load balancer details).

Challenge 1: Integrate TLS Certificate Issued by the OCI Certificates Service with Load Balancer

Task 1: Create and Configure a Virtual Cloud Network (VCN)

Step 1: Create the Virtual Cloud Network (VCN)

Log in to the OCI Console.

Navigate to Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks .

Click Create Virtual Cloud Network .

Select VCN with Internet Connectivity (to include an Internet Gateway by default).

Enter the following details:

Name : PBT-CERT-VCN-01

Compartment : Select your assigned compartment.

VCN CIDR Block : 10.0.0.0/16

Leave other settings as default (e.g., create a new public subnet and route table).

Click Create Virtual Cloud Network . Wait for the VCN to be created.

Step 2: Create Subnet 1 (Compute-Subnet-PBT-CERT)

In the VCN details page for PBT-CERT-VCN-01, click Subnets under Resources .

Click Create Subnet .

Enter the following details:

Name : Compute-Subnet-PBT-CERT

Subnet Type : Regional

CIDR Block : 10.0.1.0/24

Route Table : Select the default route table created with the VCN.

Subnet Access : Public Subnet (to allow internet access).

DNS Resolution : Enabled.

Click Create .

Step 3: Create Subnet 2 (LB-Subnet-PBT-CERT-SNET-02)

In the VCN details page, click Subnets under Resources .

Click Create Subnet .

Enter the following details:

Name : LB-Subnet-PBT-CERT-SNET-02

Subnet Type : Regional

CIDR Block : 10.0.2.0/24

Route Table : Select the default route table created with the VCN.

Subnet Access : Public Subnet (to allow internet access for the load balancer).

DNS Resolution : Enabled.

Click Create .

Step 4: Verify Internet Gateway

In the VCN details page, under Resources , click Internet Gateways .

Ensure an Internet Gateway is listed and attached to PBT-CERT-VCN-01. If not created, click Create Internet Gateway , name it (e.g., PBT-CERT-IGW), and attach it.

Step 5: Configure Route Table

In the VCN details page, under Resources , click Route Tables .

Select the default route table or create a new one named PBT-CERT-RT-01.

Click Add Route Rule . 4 - Destination CIDR Block : 0.0.0.0/0

Target Type : Internet Gateway

Target : Select the Internet Gateway created (e.g., PBT-CERT-IGW).

Click Add Route Rule and save.

Step 6: Create Security List for Subnet 1 (Compute-Subnet-PBT-CERT)

In the VCN details page, under Resources , click Security Lists .

Click Create Security List .

Enter the following:

Name : PBT-CERT-CS-SL-01

Compartment : Your assigned compartment.

Add the following ingress rule:

Source CIDR : 0.0.0.0/0 (allow from any source, adjust as per security needs)

IP Protocol : TCP

Source Port Range : All

Destination Port Range : 22 (for SSH)

Allows : Traffic

Click Create .

Step 7: Create Security List for Subnet 2 (LB-Subnet-PBT-CERT-SNET-02)

In the VCN details page, under Resources , click Security Lists .

Click Create Security List .

Enter the following:

Name : PBT-CERT-LB-SL-01

Compartment : Your assigned compartment.

Add the following ingress rule:

Source CIDR : 0.0.0.0/0 (allow from any source, adjust as per security needs)

IP Protocol : TCP

Source Port Range : All

Destination Port Range : 443 (for HTTPS)

Allows : Traffic

Click Create .

Step 8: Retrieve and Enter VCN OCID

Go to the VCN details page for PBT-CERT-VCN-01.

Copy the OCID from the VCN information section.

Enter the OCID in the provided text box.

Task 7: Verify the OCI Certificate with Load Balancer

Step 1: Obtain the Public IP of the Load Balancer

Log in to the OCI Console.

Navigate to Networking > Load Balancers .

Click on PBT-CERT-LB-01.

Note the Public IP Address from the load balancer details page.

Step 2: Verify HTTPS Connection Using Cloud Shell

Open the OCI Cloud Shell from the top-right corner of the OCI Console.

Run the following command, replacing < Public IP of PBT-CERT-LB-01 > with the public IP you noted:

curl -k https:// < Public IP of PBT-CERT-LB-01 >

Expected output: You should see the text "You are visiting Web Server 1" if the connection is successful. The -k flag ignores certificate validation errors (common during initial testing with self-signed or newly issued certificates).

If you encounter an error, ensure the load balancer is active, the listener is configured correctly, and the backend server (PBT-CERT-VM-01) is reachable.

Step 3: Verify in a Web Browser

Open a web browser.

Enter the following URL, replacing < Public IP of PBT-CERT-LB-01 > with the public IP you noted:

https:// < Public IP of PBT-CERT-LB-01 >

If prompted with a certificate warning (e.g., due to a self-signed certificate or untrusted CA), accept the risk and proceed (click "Advanced" and "Proceed" or similar, depending on your browser).

Verify that the web page displays the text "You are visiting Web Server 1" from the index.html file created on PBT-CERT-VM-01.

Step 4: Troubleshoot (if needed)

If the text is not displayed:

Check the load balancer health status under Backend Sets > Health in the OCI Console.

Ensure the security list PBT-CERT-LB-SL-01 allows port 443 and the compute instance security list allows port 80.

Verify the Apache service is running on PBT-CERT-VM-01 by SSHing in and running sudo systemctl status httpd.

To create a public subnet named IAD-SP-PBT-PUBSNET-01 within the VCN IAD-SP-PBT-VCN-01 using a CIDR block of 10.0.1.0/24 and configure it to use the Internet Gateway, follow these steps based on the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Networking documentation.

Step-by-Step Solution for Task 4: Create a Public Subnet

Log in to the OCI Console:

Use your OCI credentials to log in to the OCI Console ( https://console.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloud.com ).

Ensure you have access to the assigned compartment.

Navigate to Virtual Cloud Networks:

From the OCI Console, click the navigation menu (hamburger icon) on the top left.

Under Networking , select Virtual Cloud Networks .

Select the VCN:

Locate and click on the VCN named IAD-SP-PBT-VCN-01 created in Task 3.

Under Resources , select Subnets .

Create a New Subnet:

Click the Create Subnet button.

Configure the Subnet Details:

Name: Enter IAD-SP-PBT-PUBSNET-01.

Compartment: Ensure it is set to the assigned compartment.

Subnet Type: Select Public Subnet .

CIDR Block: Enter 10.0.1.0/24.

Route Table: Select the default route table associated with the VCN (ensure it includes a route to the Internet Gateway with destination 0.0.0.0/0).

Subnet Access: Select Public Subnet and ensure the Internet Gateway is associated.

DHCP Options: Leave as default or customize if required.

Security List: Use the default security list or create a new one with appropriate ingress/egress rules (e.g., allow TCP port 22 for SSH and all egress traffic).

Associate the Internet Gateway:

Verify that the subnet is configured to route traffic through the Internet Gateway. This is automatically handled if you selected the public subnet option and the VCN’s route table is correctly set (as configured in Task 3).

If needed, edit the route table for the subnet to ensure a rule exists:

Destination CIDR Block: 0.0.0.0/0

Target Type: Internet Gateway

Target: Select the Internet Gateway associated with IAD-SP-PBT-VCN-01.

Create the Subnet:

Click Create to provision the subnet.

Once created, the subnet will be listed under the VCN’s subnets.

Verify the Configuration:

Go to the subnet details page for IAD-SP-PBT-PUBSNET-01.

Confirm the CIDR block is 10.0.1.0/24 and that it is a public subnet with Internet Gateway access.

Notes

Ensure the CIDR block 10.0.1.0/24 does not overlap with existing subnets in the VCN (10.0.0.0/16, including 10.0.10.0/24 from Task 3).

The Internet Gateway association relies on the route table configuration from Task 3. If it’s missing, update the route table as described in Step 6.

Task 3: Create a Master Encryption Key

Step 1: Access the OCI Vault

Log in to the OCI Console.

Navigate to Identity & Security > Vault .

Select the root compartment.

Locate and click on the vault named PBI_Vault_SP.

Step 2: Create the Master Encryption Key

In the PBI_Vault_SP vault details page, under Resources , click Keys .

Click Create Key .

Enter the following details:

Name : Replace < username > with your username (e.g., if your username is 99008677-lab.user01, remove special characters like - and . to get 99008677labuser01, then use PBT-CERT-MEK-0199008677labuser01).

Key Shape : Select RSA with 4096 bits .

Protection Mode : Select HSM (Hardware Security Module) if available, or Software if HSM is not required (based on vault capabilities).

Compartment : Ensure it’s set to the root compartment (where PBI_Vault_SP resides).

Leave other settings (e.g., key usage) as default unless specified.

Click Create Key and wait for the key to be generated.

Step 3: Retrieve and Enter the OCID

After the key is created, go to the Keys section under PBI_Vault_SP.

Click on the key named PBT-CERT-MEK-01 < username > (e.g., PBT-CERT-MEK-0199008677labuser01).

Copy the OCID (a long string starting with ocid1.key., unique to your tenancy) from the key details page.

Enter the copied OCID exactly as it appears into the provided text box.

Task 4: Create a Certificate Authority (CA)

Create a certificate authority, where:

CA name: PBT-CERT-CA-01- < username >

For example, if your username is 99008677-lab.user01, then the certificate authority name should be PBT-CERT-CA-01990086771abuser01

Ensure you eliminate special characters from the user name.

Common name: PBT-CERT-OCICA-01

Master Encryption Key: PBT-CERT-MEK-01 (created in the previous task)

Answer: See the solution below in Explanation.

Task 4: Create a Certificate Authority (CA)

Step 1: Access the OCI Vault

Log in to the OCI Console.

Navigate to Identity & Security > Vault .

Select the root compartment.

Locate and click on the vault named PBI_Vault_SP.

Step 2: Create the Certificate Authority

In the PBI_Vault_SP vault details page, under Resources , click Certificate Authorities .

Click Create Certificate Authority .

Enter the following details:

Name : Replace < username > with your username (e.g., if your username is 99008677-lab.user01, remove special characters like - and . to get 99008677labuser01, then use PBT-CERT-CA-0199008677labuser01).

Common Name : Enter PBT-CERT-OCICA-01.

Master Encryption Key : Select the PBT-CERT-MEK-01 < username > key created in Task 3 (e.g., PBT-CERT-MEK-0199008677labuser01).

Subject : Leave as default or adjust (e.g., Organization, Country) if required by your setup.

Validity Period : Set as needed (e.g., 10 years), or use the default.

Compartment : Ensure it’s set to the root compartment.

Click Create Certificate Authority and wait for the CA to be provisioned.

Step 3: Verify the Certificate Authority

After creation, go to the Certificate Authorities section under PBI_Vault_SP.

Confirm the CA PBT-CERT-CA-01 < username > (e.g., PBT-CERT-CA-0199008677labuser01) is listed and its status is active.