Configuring WebSphere Application Server to use FIPS 140-2

[Version 8.6.0.5 and later] Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 specifies required levels of encryption for Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL). This standard ensures high protection of data as it is sent over the wire.

About this task

When you are using WebSphere® eXtreme Scale integrated with WebSphere Application Server, the catalog servers and container servers inherit the security properties from the application server. When a catalog server runs in WebSphere Application Server, some of the communication is controlled by the server.properties file. Update the server.properties file to contain the same properties that are required for stand-alone catalog servers.

Procedure

Configure WebSphere Application Server for FIPs. See Configuring FIPS JSSE files.
Edit the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) configuration in the server properties files for the catalog server and container servers to use the TLSv1 protocol. You also need to configure any clients accessing the catalog and container servers to use the TLSv1 protocol.
These files must contain the following properties and values:
```
contextProvider=IBMJSSE2
transportType=SSL-Required
protocol=TLSv1
```
For more information about the server.properties file, see Server properties file.
Specify the following Java virtual machine (JVM) arguments so that the catalog server points to the correct security files in WebSphere Application Server. -Dobjectgrid.server.props=C:/temp/17877/catServer2NISTsORB.props
Restart your catalog and container servers.
For more information, see Starting and stopping secure servers.