Host Configuration and TLS

Host management is an advanced feature for defining network rules specific to certain domains. It is an essential tool for working in protected corporate environments, managing mTLS (Mutual TLS) certificates, or interacting with servers that require a private Certification Authority (CA).

---

Use Cases for Host Configuration

Creating a Host configuration is recommended in the following scenarios:

• Client Certificates: Requires a certificate (.crt) and private key (.key) for client authentication (mTLS).
• Private CAs: Using internal servers with certificates not recognized by the operating system.
• Local Development: Need to ignore security errors for servers with self-signed certificates.
• Persistent Cookies: Automatically send specific cookies with every request to a specific domain, without the need for repeated manual entry.

---

How Network Automation Works

Configuring a Host enables the following automations:

1. Automatic Detection: Every time a request is sent, the URL is checked against configured Hosts to immediately apply rules.
2. Transparent Injection: Presents the client certificate during the SSL handshake and injects cookies into HTTP headers without manual intervention.
3. Isolation: Configurations are limited to the specific host. Rules for api.sviluppo.local do not interfere with calls to other domains.

---

TLS Configuration Guide

1. Add a Host: Go to Settings > Hosts and click “Add Host”. Enter the domain (e.g., api.azienda.it).

2. Enable TLS: Toggle “Enable Custom TLS Configuration”.

3. Upload Files: Use the “Browse” button to select the public certificate and private key.

   

4. Custom CA: Upload the Root CA file to allow Solo to verify the server.

5. Save: Click “Save Host”. Future requests to the domain will use the saved configuration.

---

Configuration Specifications

Option	Description	Typical Use
Insecure Skip Verify	Ignores server certificate validation.	Local development environment.
Client Certificate	.crt or .pem file provided by the administrator.	mTLS Authentication.
Client Key	.key file associated with the client certificate.	mTLS Authentication.
Root CA	Certificate file of the Certification Authority.	Internal corporate servers.
Host Cookies	List of keys and values sent automatically.	Legacy persistent sessions.

---

Troubleshooting

TLS Handshake Failed

If you encounter a tls: failed to parse certificate error, the uploaded files may be corrupted or in an unsupported format. Verification of the PEM format (text starting with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----) is required.

File Not Found

Moving or deleting certificate files from your local computer will prevent Solo from loading them. The Host configuration will report an error, and requests to the domain will fail until paths are updated.

Host Matching

Ensure an exact match between the configured host name and the one in the URL (e.g., localhost differs from 127.0.0.1).