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About machines

In the context of machine identity security, a machine refers to a specific instance or endpoint where certificates are managed and provisioned. This can include physical servers, virtual machines, cloud instances, or any other type of computing resource that requires a digital certificate for secure communications.

Key points about machines

  1. Machine identity: Each machine has a unique identity that is managed through the Venafi Control Plane for Machine Identities. This identity is tied to the certificates that are issued and installed on that machine.

  2. Certificate management: Machines are the primary entities for which certificates are provisioned, renewed, and monitored. You can manage the entire lifecycle of certificates associated with these machines.

  3. Integration with keystores: Machines can be configured to connect to various keystores (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) where certificates are stored and managed.

  4. Discovery and provisioning: Venafi provides capabilities to discover machines in your environment and provision certificates to them automatically, ensuring that all necessary endpoints are secured.

  5. Role in installations: In the context of installations, creating a machine allows TLS Protect Cloud to connect directly to keystores where applications keep their certificates, facilitating the management of machine identities.

Next steps

Learn how to create a new machine.