Microsoft® Certificate Server supports the use of certificates as defined in the ITU-T recommendation X.509 (also, ISO/IEC 9594-8). Other formats can be supported by extension handlers written for the formats. The following are properties that are contained in a standard X.509 certificate.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Version | Version number of the certificate. |
| Serial Number | Serial number of the certificate. |
| Algorithm Identifier | Signature algorithm used by the certificate signer. |
| Issuer Name | Name of the issuer of the certificate. |
| Validity | The time period over which the certificate is valid. |
| Not Before (Date) | Certificate not valid before this date. |
| Not After (Date) | Certificate not valid after this date. |
| Subject Name | Name of the person/entity to whom the certificate is being issued, including name, organization, organization unit, locality, state or province, and country. |
| Subject Public Key Info | Information about the subject's public key. |
| Algorithm | The algorithm used for the public key. |
| Subject Public Key | The actual public key (a bit string). |
| Optional Fields: | Optional fields |
| Issuer Unique ID | If present, version must be 2.0 or above. |
| Subject Unique ID | If present, version must be 2.0 or above. |
| Extensions | If present, version must be 3.0. For specifying any desired custom properties. Any number of extension fields can be included in the certificate. |