How to deploy a .NET app on a RONIN Windows Server with HTTPS

How to Deploy an ASP.NET Core App with HTTPS on Windows Server 2022 (Directly on Server)

Deploying web applications to a server can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. In this guide, we'll walk through the process of deploying a simple "Hello, World!" ASP.NET Core application on Windows Server 2022 directly on the server, with HTTPS.

Prerequisites:

• A Windows Server 2022 machine within RONIN.
  • For public access, ensure your RONIN security group has port 443 open. You may need to request this from your RONIN administrator.
• Basic understanding of Windows Server and IIS.

1. Setting Up the Development Environment on Windows Server 2022

Since we're developing directly on the server, we'll install all necessary tools there.

• Install the .NET SDK:
  • Head to the official Microsoft .NET download page:https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download
  • Download and install the latest .NET SDK for Windows Server 2022.
• Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code) with the C# Dev Kit:
  • Download VS Code from: https://code.visualstudio.com/
  • Install the "C# Dev Kit" extension from the VS Code Extensions marketplace.  
• Installing IIS on Windows Server 2022:
  • Open Server Manager.
  • Click "Add roles and features."
  • Click "Next" until you reach "Server Roles."
  • Select "Web Server (IIS)."
  • Click "Next" to "Features," and ensure ".NET Extensibility" and "ASP.NET" features are selected.  
  • Click "Next" and then "Install."
• .NET Core Hosting Bundle:
  • Go to the Microsoft .NET download page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/host-and-deploy/iis/hosting-bundle?view=aspnetcore-9.0
  • Download the latest version of the ".NET Hosting Bundle"
  • Run the downloaded installer.
• Install Chocolatey and OpenSSL:
  • Open PowerShell as an administrator.

Install Chocolatey by running:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

Close the powershell window and reopen it so the choco command works

Then install OpenSSL by running:

choco install openssl

2. Creating and Publishing the ASP.NET Core App

• Open VS Code and open a new terminal.
• The "publish" folder now contains the application files.

Run the following commands:

dotnet new webapp -n SimpleWebApp
cd SimpleWebApp
mkdir publish
dotnet publish -c Release -o publish

3. Obtaining an SSL Certificate and Generating a PFX

• Navigate to ssls.com and obtain a Positive SSL certificate.
• Download the certificate and the private key files (typically PEM and KEY files).
• Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell and navigate to the directory containing your PEM and KEY files.

Run the following command, replacing the privatekey and certificate with your files from ssls.com:

openssl pkcs12 -export -out certificate.pfx -inkey privateKey.key -in certificate.crt

• Replace "certificate.pfx," "privateKey.key," and "certificate.crt" with your actual file names.
• You'll be prompted to set a password for the PFX file. Store this password securely.

4. Configuring SSL in IIS

• Open IIS Manager.
• Right-click "Sites" and select "Add Website."
• Website name: "SimpleWebApp."
• Physical path: Browse to the "publish" folder.
• Application Pool: Set the .NET CLR version to "No Managed Code."
• Binding:
  • Type: "https."
  • Port: "443."
  • Domain: your machine DNS in RONIN (i.e. hello-world.ronin.cloud)
  • SSL certificate: Select the PFX certificate you created.
• Click "OK."

5. Allowing Windows Firewall Traffic

• Open "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security."
• Click "Inbound Rules" and then "New Rule."
• Select "Port" and click "Next."
• Select "TCP" and enter "443" in "Specific local ports."
• Click "Next" through the remaining steps and give the rule a name (e.g., "HTTPS Inbound").
• Click "Finish."

6. Additional Considerations

• Security: Always use strong passwords and keep your server and software updated.
• Logging: Enable IIS logging to track application activity and errors.
• HTTPS Redirection: Redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS. This can be done within IIS or in your .NET Core application using the HttpsRedirection middleware.
• HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security): Enable HSTS in your application to force browsers to use HTTPS.

By following these steps, you'll have a simple ASP.NET Core application running on Windows Server 2022 with HTTPS. No more problems... Right?