Developing Optional Custom Applications

You can deploy a wide variety of public key security solutions with the standard components and features of Windows 2000 PKI. However, you can also develop custom applications using the Microsoft CryptoAPI.

Using CryptoAPI, you can develop Custom Policy modules and custom exit modules to integrate certificate services with existing databases and third-party directory services. For example, you can develop an application that validates certificate requests from user information contained in an existing database or a third-party directory service.

You can also develop a custom application that uses special types of certificates. For example, you can develop an application that creates a digital thumbprint of an electronic document and then stores the thumbprint in a time- and date-stamped certificate. You can maintain these stamped certificates in a document registry database to provide integrity for the original document contents. When a document is compared to the digital thumbprint in the registry database, any tampering or modifications to the document since it was registered will be identified. You can use a document registry like this to provide an online, quality-assurance audit trail for products you manufacture, and thus ensure the integrity of electronic test and certification documentation.

In addition, you can develop a custom certificate enrollment and renewal application with Active Server Pages. For example, you can modify the standard Microsoft Certificate Services Web pages to add or delete features. You can also develop custom Web pages that integrate with third-party services or other applications that you develop.

For more information about developing custom applications for Microsoft Certificate Services, see the Microsoft Platform SDK link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

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