SecureServer - HTTPS Web Application with SSL

Overview

SecureServer is a Java web application deployed on Apache Tomcat demonstrating secure HTTPS communication using SSL certificates. This mini-project shows how to configure a local server with HTTPS, generate SSL certificates, and redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS for secure communication.

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Features

• Simple Java web application running on Tomcat
• HTTPS enabled using self-signed SSL certificate
• HTTP ➞ HTTPS automatic redirection
• Gradle build for easy compilation and deployment
• Demo-ready for local testing

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Prerequisites

• Java JDK 17 or above
• Apache Tomcat 9+
• Gradle 8+ (for building the project)
• Basic understanding of web servers and SSL/TLS

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Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/WHitE-TITaN/SecureServer.git
cd SecureServer

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2. Build the Project with Gradle

gradle build

This generates the .war file in build/libs/secureServer.war.

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3. Install Apache Tomcat

• Download Apache Tomcat 9/10 for Windows
• Install and start the server
• Test by visiting:

http://localhost:8080

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4. Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate

Tomcat uses a Java Keystore (.jks):

mkdir C:\tomcat
keytool -genkey -alias tomcat -keyalg RSA -keystore C:\tomcat\mykeystore.jks -keysize 2048 -validity 90

Command format - -genkey -alias ServerType(tomcat, appache etc) -keyalg (algorithm to be used) -keystore (location to store the certificate) -keysize (size of the key) -validity (certificate validity date in days)

Fill in:

• Keystore password
• Name (CN)
• Organization (O)
• City (L)
• State (ST)
• Country (C)

This creates mykeystore.jks.

Important: This command needs a c:/tomcat directory to store the keystore. !Ensure the directory exists before running the command.

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5. Configure Tomcat for HTTPS

1. Open TOMCAT_HOME/conf/server.xml
2. Uncomment the HTTPS connector section and modify:

<Connector port="8443"
           protocol="org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol"
           maxThreads="150"
           SSLEnabled="true"
           scheme="https" secure="true">
    <SSLHostConfig>
        <!-->certificateKeystoreFile attribute contain the location the certificate
        the default location will be C:\tomcat\mykeystore.jks<-->
        <Certificate certificateKeystoreFile="C:\tomcat\mykeystore.jks"
                     certificateKeystorePassword="YOUR_PASSWORD"
                     type="RSA" />
    </SSLHostConfig>
</Connector>

3. Save and restart Tomcat.

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6. Deploy the WAR File

• Copy secureServer.war from build/libs to:

TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/

• Tomcat will auto-deploy it.

Or change the server.xml to point to the application or cloned location.

  <Host name="localhost"  appBase="webapps"
            unpackWARs="true" autoDeploy="true">

       <Context docBase="/location" path="/" reloadable="true"/>


        <Valve className="org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve" directory="logs"
               prefix="localhost_access_log" suffix=".txt"
               pattern="%h %l %u %t &quot;%r&quot; %s %b" />

      </Host>

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7. Test HTTPS

Open browser:

https://localhost:8443/

• Browser shows a padlock (self-signed certificate warning)
• Click Advanced → Proceed
• Your application is now running securely over HTTPS

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8. Optional: Force HTTP → HTTPS

Add this to your app’s web.xml:

<security-constraint>
    <web-resource-collection>
        <web-resource-name>SecureApp</web-resource-name>
        <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    </web-resource-collection>
    <user-data-constraint>
        <transport-guarantee>CONFIDENTIAL</transport-guarantee>
    </user-data-constraint>
</security-constraint>

Now, any HTTP request automatically redirects to HTTPS.

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Project Structure

SecureServer/
│
├── build/                # Gradle build output
├── src/
│   ├── main/java         # Java source code
│   └── main/webapp       # HTML/CSS/JSP files
├── build.gradle          # Gradle build script
├── settings.gradle
└── README.md

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Screenshots to Include

• Command prompt generating keystore
• Tomcat server.xml SSL configuration
• Browser showing HTTPS padlock
• Certificate properties
• HTTP → HTTPS redirect working

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Additional Notes

• Self-signed certificates are for demo purposes; production should use Let’s Encrypt or commercial certificates
• Gradle simplifies building and managing dependencies
• Project demonstrates TLS handshake, secure communication, and server configuration

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References

• Apache Tomcat SSL Configuration
• Keytool Documentation
• Gradle Official Docs