gsadmin/certctl
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/shankar0123/certctl.git synced 2026-06-07 12:21:31 +00:00
Code Issues Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

docs: Phase 2 mechanical file moves to subdirectory structure

Browse Source 
Pure git mv operations; no content edits. Internal links remain pointing
at old paths and will be fixed in Phase 11. Per the Phase 1 audit
recommendations at cowork/docs-overhaul-phase-1-audit-2026-05-04/.

35 files moved across 8 audience-organized subdirectories:

  docs/getting-started/ (5):
    quickstart.md, concepts.md, examples.md, advanced-demo.md (was
    demo-advanced.md), why-certctl.md

  docs/reference/ (6):
    architecture.md, api.md (was openapi.md), mcp.md,
    intermediate-ca-hierarchy.md, deployment-model.md (was
    deployment-atomicity.md), vendor-matrix.md (was
    deployment-vendor-matrix.md)

  docs/reference/protocols/ (6):
    acme-server.md, acme-server-threat-model.md, scep-intune.md,
    est.md, crl-ocsp.md, async-ca-polling.md (was async-polling.md)

  docs/operator/ (4):
    security.md, tls.md, database-tls.md, approval-workflow.md

  docs/operator/runbooks/ (3):
    cloud-targets.md (was runbook-cloud-targets.md), expiry-alerts.md
    (was runbook-expiry-alerts.md), disaster-recovery.md

  docs/migration/ (3):
    from-certbot.md (was migrate-from-certbot.md), from-acmesh.md
    (was migrate-from-acmesh.md), cert-manager-coexistence.md (was
    certctl-for-cert-manager-users.md)

  docs/compliance/ (4):
    index.md (was compliance.md), soc2.md (was compliance-soc2.md),
    pci-dss.md (was compliance-pci-dss.md), nist-sp-800-57.md (was
    compliance-nist.md)

  docs/contributor/ (4):
    testing-strategy.md, test-environment.md (was test-env.md),
    ci-pipeline.md, qa-test-suite.md (was qa-test-guide.md)

Deferred to later Phase 2 sub-phases:
  - connectors.md split (Phase 4): docs/connectors.md +
    docs/connector-{apache,f5,iis,k8s,nginx}.md still at top level
  - testing-guide.md prune (Phase 5): docs/testing-guide.md still
    at top level
  - features.md disperse (Phase 6): docs/features.md still at top
    level
  - legacy-est-scep.md split (Phase 7): docs/legacy-est-scep.md
    still at top level
  - ACME walkthrough re-homing (Phase 8): three
    docs/acme-*-walkthrough.md still at top level
  - Upgrade docs archive (Phase 3): two docs/upgrade-*.md still
    at top level

Cross-reference updates (Phase 11) will happen after all moves and
content edits land. Internal links to docs/* paths are temporarily
broken until that phase completes.
This commit is contained in:
shankar0123
2026-05-05 02:49:28 +00:00
parent cda957f302
commit 3a807ae37e
35 changed files with 0 additions and 0 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files
docs/getting-started/examples.md
+120
View File
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
# Deployment Examples
Five turnkey docker-compose scenarios, each runnable in under 5 minutes. Pick the one closest to your setup.
## Which Example Should I Use?
| I need to... | Example | Issuer | Target |
|--------------|---------|--------|--------|
| Get Let's Encrypt certs for NGINX on a public server | [ACME + NGINX](#acme--nginx) | ACME (HTTP-01) | NGINX |
| Issue wildcard certs without opening port 80 | [Wildcard DNS-01](#wildcard-dns-01) | ACME (DNS-01) | Any |
| Run an internal CA for services behind a firewall | [Private CA + Traefik](#private-ca--traefik) | Local CA | Traefik |
| Use Smallstep step-ca as my PKI backend | [step-ca + HAProxy](#step-ca--haproxy) | step-ca | HAProxy |
| Manage both public and internal certs from one dashboard | [Multi-Issuer](#multi-issuer) | ACME + Local CA | Mixed |
**Already using another tool?** See the migration sections below each example for Certbot, acme.sh, and cert-manager users.
---
## ACME + NGINX
**Scenario:** You have one or more public-facing domains, NGINX as the reverse proxy, and want automated Let's Encrypt certificates with HTTP-01 challenges.
**What it deploys:** certctl server + PostgreSQL + certctl agent + NGINX, all on one Docker network. The agent generates keys locally (ECDSA P-256), submits CSRs to the server, receives signed certs from Let's Encrypt, and deploys them to NGINX with automatic reload.
**Prerequisites:** A domain pointing to your server, ports 80 and 443 open, Docker Compose v20.10+.
```bash
cd examples/acme-nginx
cp .env.example .env # Edit with your domain and email
docker compose up -d
```
The full walkthrough — including how HTTP-01 challenges work, adding multiple domains, switching to staging for testing, and a production checklist — is in the [example README](../examples/acme-nginx/acme-nginx.md).
**Migrating from Certbot?** certctl discovers your existing `/etc/letsencrypt/live/` certificates automatically. You keep your ACME account, disable the Certbot cron, and certctl takes over renewal with centralized visibility and deployment verification. The step-by-step process is in [Migrating from Certbot](migrate-from-certbot.md).
---
## Wildcard DNS-01
**Scenario:** You need wildcard certificates (`*.example.com`) or your servers aren't reachable from the internet (no port 80). DNS-01 validates ownership by creating a TXT record at your DNS provider.
**What it deploys:** certctl server + PostgreSQL + certctl agent. Includes a Cloudflare DNS hook script as a working reference — swap in your own DNS provider (Route53, Azure DNS, Google Cloud DNS, or any provider with an API).
**Prerequisites:** A domain, API credentials for your DNS provider, Docker Compose.
```bash
cd examples/acme-wildcard-dns01
cp .env.example .env # Edit with domain, email, DNS provider credentials
docker compose up -d
```
The full walkthrough — including DNS-PERSIST-01 (set a TXT record once, never touch DNS again on renewals), adapting scripts for other providers, and propagation troubleshooting — is in the [example README](../examples/acme-wildcard-dns01/acme-wildcard-dns01.md).
**Migrating from acme.sh?** Your existing `dns_*` hook scripts are compatible with certctl's DNS-01 — they use the same pattern (shell scripts creating TXT records). The migration guide covers script adaptation, discovery of existing acme.sh certificates, and phasing out the acme.sh cron. See [Migrating from acme.sh](migrate-from-acmesh.md).
---
## Private CA + Traefik
**Scenario:** Internal services that don't need public CA validation. You run your own certificate authority — either a self-signed root for development, or a subordinate CA chained to your enterprise root (e.g., Active Directory Certificate Services).
**What it deploys:** certctl server + PostgreSQL + certctl agent + Traefik. The Local CA issuer signs certificates directly. Traefik watches a cert directory and auto-reloads when new files appear.
**Prerequisites:** Docker Compose. For sub-CA mode, you'll need a CA certificate and key signed by your enterprise root.
```bash
cd examples/private-ca-traefik
docker compose up -d # Self-signed mode (no .env needed for demo)
```
The full walkthrough — including sub-CA setup with `CERTCTL_CA_CERT_PATH` and `CERTCTL_CA_KEY_PATH`, creating certificates via the API, monitoring deployments, and production hardening — is in the [example README](../examples/private-ca-traefik/private-ca-traefik.md).
---
## step-ca + HAProxy
**Scenario:** You use Smallstep's step-ca as your private PKI and want automated lifecycle management for certificates deployed to HAProxy load balancers.
**What it deploys:** certctl server + PostgreSQL + certctl agent + step-ca (with JWK provisioner) + HAProxy. certctl issues certs via step-ca's native `/sign` API, combines them into HAProxy's expected PEM format (cert + chain + key in one file), and reloads HAProxy.
**Prerequisites:** Docker Compose.
```bash
cd examples/step-ca-haproxy
docker compose up -d
```
The full walkthrough — including step-ca provisioner configuration, integrating with an existing step-ca instance, HAProxy PEM format details, and advanced features (approval workflows, policy-based renewal, multi-instance HAProxy) — is in the [example README](../examples/step-ca-haproxy/step-ca-haproxy.md).
---
## Multi-Issuer
**Scenario:** You manage both public-facing services (needing Let's Encrypt or another public CA) and internal services (using a private CA) and want a single dashboard for everything.
**What it deploys:** certctl server + PostgreSQL + certctl agent configured with both an ACME issuer and a Local CA issuer. Demonstrates issuer assignment via profiles — public services get ACME certs, internal services get Local CA certs, all visible in one inventory.
**Prerequisites:** Docker Compose. For real ACME certs, a public domain and port 80 access.
```bash
cd examples/multi-issuer
docker compose up -d
```
The full walkthrough — including profile-based issuer assignment, testing with ACME staging, Local CA enterprise sub-CA mode, and scaling beyond Docker Compose — is in the [example README](../examples/multi-issuer/multi-issuer.md).
**Using cert-manager for Kubernetes?** certctl complements cert-manager — cert-manager handles in-cluster certs, certctl handles everything outside: VMs, bare metal, network appliances, Windows servers. They can share the same CA (ACME, step-ca, Vault PKI). See [certctl for cert-manager Users](certctl-for-cert-manager-users.md).
---
## Beyond These Examples
These 5 scenarios cover the most common deployment patterns, but certctl supports a broader set of issuer and target backends — see `docs/features.md`'s Issuer Connectors and Target Connectors sections for the live catalogs (rebuild via `ls -d internal/connector/issuer/*/ | wc -l` and `ls -d internal/connector/target/*/ | wc -l`). Once you have the basics running, you can mix and match:
**Issuers:** ACME (Let's Encrypt, ZeroSSL, Buypass, Google Trust Services), Local CA (self-signed or sub-CA), step-ca, Vault PKI, DigiCert CertCentral, OpenSSL/Custom CA script, Sectigo (coming soon).
**Targets:** NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, Caddy, Envoy, IIS (local PowerShell or WinRM proxy), Postfix, Dovecot, F5 BIG-IP (coming soon).
See [Connector Reference](connectors.md) for configuration details on every issuer and target.