Installation Guide SoftHSM2 in Windows
SoftHSM is an implementation of a cryptographic store accessible through a PKCS #11 interface. You can use it to explore PKCS #11 without having a Hardware Security Module. It is being developed as a part of the OpenDNSSEC project. SoftHSM uses Botan for its cryptographic operations.
For windows we can download package from :
https://github.com/disig/SoftHSM2-for-Windows
Choose portable or MSI Installer. If we choose portable need set/modify SOFTHSM2_CONF and PATH environment variables manually.
Install SoftHSM2 using MSI Installer
After download package as MSI Installer then double click this package until welcome screen
Choose Next button
Check EULA and Next button will shown
Choose Destination installation location. Default location D:\SoftHSM2
or we can select another location (press Change button)
Then press Next button then press Install button to start installation process
After installation process done will pop up README.txt
Completed installation process
SoftHSM2 will proper running is PATH and SOFTHSM2_CONF setting up into environment variable :
Initialize Slot at SoftHSM2
After installation done we need initialize slot. SoftHSM2 architecture divides the HSM into multiple slots. Each slot has an associated security provider and can be protected by a separate Personal Identification Number (PIN). You can create a separate slot on the SoftHSM2 for Application and protect the slot with a unique PIN.
Open Command Prompt (cmd.exe) and go to SoftHSM2\bin folder :
To initialize slot 0 we can execute command :
securestack : label slot. If need add label with separated space ex. My Label 1 we must add double quote inside label ex. “My Label 1”
Show slots list created in SoftHSM2 :
