Date:  Wed, 11 Jul 2001 18:23:01 -0400
From:  madodelatptdprolog.net
Subject:  [VOICENWS] WebSphere EMERGENCY: Application Server Could Stop on July 19, 2001

From: "Timothy Sipples" <tsippleatus.ibm.com> 

Dear Friends:

IBM is trying to alert its customers to a potential problem which could
affect WebSphere Application Server.  To the best of my knowledge, this
alert also applies to users of WebSphere Application Server for OS/2 Warp
(available through IBM Software Choice).

If you are using the DummyKey Ring provided by IBM with WebSphere, and you
have enabled security, you run the risk of stopping WebSphere on July 19,
2001.  Read on for more information on how to deal with this potential
problem.

If you are not using the IBM-provided DummyKey Ring and/or do not have
security enabled, or if you are using WebSphere Application Server for
OS/390, please disregard this notice.

THE PROBLEM: The IBM-provided DummyKey Ring in certain releases of
WebSphere Application Server has a certificate expiration date of July 19,
2001.  WebSphere Application Server releases prior to 3.5.3 or 3.02.4 on
all platforms except OS/390 are likely affected.  All communications
to/from the server will halt when the certificate expires, if security has
been enabled.  If multiple servers are tied together for communications,
all servers must have the same level of unexpired certificates in order to
continue functioning.

IDENTIFICATION: The Dummy KeyRing sample certificate expiration on July
19, 2001, will affect you only if ALL of the following conditions are
true:

1.  Running WebSphere Application Server Version 3.0, 3.0.1, 3.0.2,
3.0.2.1, 3.0.2.2, 3.0.2.3, 3.5, 3.5.1, or 3.5.2.

==> Verify by looking in the ...\properties\com\ibm\websphere directory.
Look inside the product.properties (3.0.x) or product.xml (3.5.x) file.

2.  eFix PQ47370 is NOT applied.

==> Verify by looking in the ...\bin\admin.config file.  PQ47370 is not
applied if there is no reference to a PQ47370.jar file.  (PQ47370 contains
an updated sample certificate.)

3.  The DummyKeyring sample certificate is being used (rather than using
your own secure keyring).

==>  Verify by looking in the ...\properties\sas.server.props file.  This
IBM-provided sample certificate is not being used if there's no reference
to the DummyKeyring.

RESOLUTION:  Create your own dummy keyring, as explained in the WebSphere
InfoCenter in Section 5.5.6.1.5: "Example: Generating and Using Test
Certificates."

Other temporary resolutions are possible by installing IBM's updated
sample keyring (which has an expiration date of January 19, 2004).

For more information on IBM WebSphere Application Server support, please
visit:

   http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/support.html

NOTE: The sample Dummy Keyring is provided in all WebSphere Application
Server releases as a convenience only, for setting up SSL communications
on an initial, temporary basis.  As documented, use of this sample keyring
could compromise security and is not recommended for other than test,
development, or internal usage.

IBM encourages customers running WebSphere Application Server for OS/2
Warp to participate in online forums to exchange information on this and
other technical support issues.  Please feel free to report your
experiences with this information to other users in the appropriate
newsgroups.

- - - - -
Timothy F. Sipples
IBM WebSphere & Business Connect Software (Chicago, IL) and
IBM Consultant to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (Wash., DC)


                           
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