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Deployment

Deploy SSL/TLS Certificates to Alibaba Cloud CDN

Upload certificates, enable HTTPS, and optimize Alibaba Cloud CDN configuration.

CertOne3 min read

Alibaba Cloud CDN accelerates content delivery. Adding an SSL/TLS certificate enables encrypted HTTPS delivery. This guide covers certificate upload, HTTPS configuration, and optimization.

1. Preparation​

1. Obtain an SSL/TLS certificate​

Before deployment, prepare:

  • A certificate issued through CertOne, Alibaba Cloud, or another provider
  • A certificate file (.crt or .pem)
  • A private key file (.key)
  • An intermediate certificate chain file, when required

2. Prepare Alibaba Cloud CDN​

  • Activate the Alibaba Cloud CDN service
  • Add your CDN domain
  • Complete the required domain filing if using mainland China nodes

2. Upload the certificate​

1. Open the CDN console​

  1. Sign in to the Alibaba Cloud console
  2. Open the CDN service
  3. Select Domain management

2. Configure HTTPS​

  1. Locate the target domain
  2. Click Manage
  3. Open HTTPS configuration
  4. Click Modify configuration

3. Upload a certificate​

Option 1: Bring your own certificate

  1. Select Custom certificate
  2. Upload the certificate (.crt or .pem)
  3. Upload the private key (.key)
  4. Enter a certificate name
  5. Click OK

Option 2: Use an Alibaba Cloud certificate

  1. Select Alibaba Cloud certificate
  2. Select an issued certificate
  3. Click OK

3. HTTPS configuration​

1. Enable HTTPS​

  1. Open the HTTPS configuration page
  2. Enable HTTPS secure acceleration
  3. Select the uploaded certificate
  4. Click OK

2. Redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS​

  1. Open the HTTPS configuration page
  2. Enable Force HTTP to HTTPS
  3. Choose the redirect type (301 or 302)
  4. Click OK

3. TLS versions​

  1. Open the HTTPS configuration page
  2. Select TLS versions; use TLS 1.2 and 1.3
  3. Click OK

4. Automate deployment with CertOne​

1. Create a deployment node​

  1. Sign in to CertOne
  2. Open Deployment nodes
  3. Click Create deployment node
  4. Select Alibaba Cloud CDN

2. Configure API access​

  1. Create an Alibaba Cloud AccessKey
  2. Grant the key the required CDN management permissions
  3. Configure the Alibaba Cloud credentials in CertOne
  4. Test the connection

3. Associate a certificate​

  1. Select the certificate to deploy
  2. Select the deployment node
  3. Enable automatic deployment
  4. Renewed certificates will be deployed to the CDN automatically

5. Optimize the configuration​

1. Caching​

Static resources:

  • Set appropriate cache lifetimes for static resources
  • Improve HTTPS delivery speed

HTTPS caching:

  • Enable caching for HTTPS content
  • Reduce requests to the origin

2. Compression​

Enable compression:

  • Enable Gzip or Brotli
  • Reduce transferred data
  • Improve HTTPS delivery speed

3. HTTP/2​

Enable HTTP/2:

  • Alibaba Cloud CDN supports HTTP/2
  • Improve HTTPS performance
  • No additional configuration is needed where enabled by default

Verify the configuration​

1. Check HTTPS access​

  1. Visit https://your-domain.com
  2. Inspect the browser's connection security indicator
  3. Confirm the certificate details

2. Check redirects​

  1. Visit http://your-domain.com
  2. Confirm that it redirects to HTTPS
  3. Check the response status (301 for a permanent redirect)

3. Use a TLS testing tool​

  1. Visit https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/
  2. Enter your domain
  3. Review the TLS configuration grade

7. Common issues​

1. Certificate upload fails​

Possible causes:

  • Incorrect certificate format
  • Mismatched private key
  • Incomplete certificate chain

Resolution:

  • Check the certificate format
  • Confirm that the certificate matches the private key
  • Use the complete certificate chain

2. HTTPS is inaccessible​

Possible causes:

  • The certificate was not uploaded correctly
  • HTTPS is disabled
  • DNS resolution problems

Resolution:

  • Check the certificate configuration
  • Confirm HTTPS is enabled
  • Check DNS resolution

3. Certificate renewal​

Manual renewal:

  1. Obtain a new certificate
  2. Upload the replacement certificate to the CDN
  3. Update the HTTPS configuration

Automatic renewal:

  • Use CertOne automatic deployment
  • Deploy renewed certificates to the CDN automatically

Best practices​

1. Certificate management​

  • ✅ Use CertOne automatic deployment
  • ✅ Set certificate expiration reminders
  • ✅ Check certificate status regularly

2. Performance optimization​

  • ✅ Enable HTTP/2
  • ✅ Configure caching policies
  • ✅ Enable compression

3. Security configuration​

  • ✅ Use secure TLS protocols
  • ✅ Enable HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects
  • ✅ Configure security response headers

Conclusion​

Deploying a certificate to Alibaba Cloud CDN enables encrypted, accelerated content delivery. Follow the upload and configuration steps to enable HTTPS.

Key points:

  • ✅ Upload the certificate to the CDN
  • ✅ Enable HTTPS secure acceleration
  • ✅ Configure HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects
  • ✅ Use CertOne automatic deployment

CertOne combines certificate issuance with automatic deployment to Alibaba Cloud CDN, simplifying certificate management.