Create and Bind a CA‑Signed Certificate to SQL Server (Step‑by‑Step)
In this video, I demonstrate how to generate a CA‑signed SSL/TLS certificate using Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) in a domain environment and attach it to SQL Server to enable secure, encrypted client connections.
You’ll see how to:
Generate a CA‑signed certificate from Enterprise AD CS
Use MMC to request and export the certificate
Import the certificate into the correct Windows certificate store
Bind the certificate to SQL Server
Enforce TLS‑encrypted connections
Verify that SQL Server is using the trusted certificate
This approach replaces self‑signed certificates with a domain‑trusted CA certificate, helping resolve common issues such as:
“The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted”
TLS / TDS encryption errors
Compliance and security audit requirements
✅ Suitable for production SQL Server environments
✅ Uses Enterprise / Domain CA (AD CS)
✅ No self‑signed certificates
✅ Works with TLS 1.2 / TLS 1.3