HTTPS Protocol Support

For those that require an additional layer of security for exchanging data with the Altium Vault, the server now provides for secure communication over networks using the HTTPS protocol to protect the privacy and integrity of the data.

Connect from Altium Designer

To establishing a secure connection to the Vault, simply use a HTTPS prefixed server address and the configured HTTPS port. By default, this is https://localhost:9785 when using the PC that hosts the Vault, or https://[computername]:9785 for a remote connection (where [computername] is the host machine's Computer Name or qualified domain name.

Vault HTTPS configuration

The Port number used for secure Vault connections is defined during the Vault installation process, in the Altium Vault Configuration options page presented by the Setup – Altium Vault dialog. Use the default port (9785) or enter an alternative. When choosing a port, note that it must not clash with any ports used by other applications – if a port is currently in use, you will be notified by the Vault installer.

The configuration and server bindings for the active Vault server can be accessed from the Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager panel – available from the Administration Tools window (Control Panel\System and Security\Administrative Tools). Select the 'Altium Vault' entry in the panel's Connections list, and choose the Features View tab.

The available ports and server names for the Altium Vault are shown as selectable links in the Actions pane. Use the links to note and test the Vault connection protocols, or access the current name/port bindings by selecting the Bindings link in the Edit Site section of the Actions pane.

A Binding, including its protocol port number, can be edited from the Site Bindings dialog via the button. 

Note that the server name localhost only applies to the local machine, so PCs other than the one that is hosting the Vault need to use the actual (server) name of that host machine to connect.

To confirm the name of the Vault host, on that machine go to Control Panel\System and Security\System and note both the Computer name and Full computer name (its qualified domain name) – the latter will be that used by the Altium Vault server for secure connections over the network (as also indicated in the Site Bindings dialog, above).

For PCs that are not part of a Domain (configured as standard Workgroup PCs) the Computer name and Full computer name are will be the same.

Connect from a browser

To establish a secure connection to the Vault web interface, enter the address of the local service (https://localhost:9785) or the host computer name equivalent (https://[computername]:9785).

The Vault server currently offers a self-signed Identity Certificate for secure connections, which can you choose to accept in your browser to proceed. Some browsers (for example Firefox) offer the option to permanently accept the certificate, so that further action is not required.