Setting up a Custom URL for your IntelligenceBank platform

Modified on Fri, 27 Mar at 4:23 AM

IntelligenceBank offers the ability to set up the platform on a custom URL/domain as an optional add-on to the license.

Setting up a platform on a custom domain essentially means that instead of using a custom prefix/subdomain with the IntelligenceBank domain (ie: yourcompany.intelligencebank.com) the customer can instead use a custom domain such as somesite.example.com.

Using a custom URL for the IntelligenceBank platform improves brand visibility, provides an enhanced user experience, gives greater brand control and a more personalized touch.

Domain Choice:

Choose a subdomain and domain. For example, compliance.example.com.

“example.com” can be the existing company domain or a brand new domain. This domain must be owned by the customer.

IntelligenceBank requires “https/SSL” and we must have an SSL certificate and matching private key for the custom domain.

SSL Certificate Acquisition

There are two main approaches to acquiring an SSL Certificate.

1. IntelligenceBank can generate a private key internally and provide the customer with a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). The customer can then use this CSR and purchase a commercial SSL certificate. This certificate is public and can be safely sent via email to IntelligenceBank.

If this route is chosen, IntelligenceBank will provide you with a form containing the information below for you to fill out, so we can accurately generate the CSR:

Field	Explanation	Example
URL	Provide the URL to be used as your custom URL.
Common Name	The fully qualified domain name for your web server. This must be an exact match.	If the URL is to be https://www.yourdomain.com, then the common name must be www.yourdomain.com. If a wildcard certificate is required then prefix the domain with an asterisk, e.g. *.domain.com.
Organization	The exact legal name of your organization. Do not abbreviate your organization name.	IntelligenceBank
Organization Unit	Section of the organization.	IT … this is not a required field.
City or Locality	The city where your organization is legally located.	Melbourne
State or Province	The state or province where your organization is legally located. Cannot be abbreviated.	Victoria
Country	The two letter ISO abbreviation for your country.	AU
Email	Email address for contact person	sysadmin@domain.com

2. The customer can provide IntelligenceBank with both a private key and the associated matching certificate. This can be an existing certificate or a newly generated one, as long as it matches the chosen custom domain.

A technical note of certificate formats: IntelligenceBank generally accept all formats of certificates and keys. We prefer PEM base64 encoded files. These are commonly referred to as “Apache” format by most vendors.

Installation and Migration Process

Once the SSL certificate (and private key if option 2 is chosen) is provided to IntelligenceBank, we will install the certificate and provide the DNS CNAME (alias) record. The DNS record update would need to be done by whoever manages the custom domain DNS. This is often the customers IT services department.
Once the DNS update is done, please notify the IntelligenceBank Implementation Manager/Customer Success Manager. They will then communicate this update internally and arrange the migration of the existing domain to the new custom domain. If this needs to occur on a specific date or time, please communicate this to IntelligenceBank.
Once the migration is done, IntelligenceBank will notify you and your platform will now be accessible at the new, custom URL.
Please note: There could be a brief disruption (up to 10 minutes) to the site while we make this change. After the migration the platform will be accessible on the new custom domain.

FAQs:

Is having a custom URL/Domain an additional cost?

Yes, setting up a custom URL/Domain is an additional cost. Please reach out to the dedicated Customer Success Manager to discuss pricing.

What is the difference between an IntelligenceBank custom prefix and a custom URL/Domain?

A custom prefix is a URL with a customizable prefix/subdomain that still uses the IntelligenceBank domain (for example, yourcompany.intelligencebank.com). This option allows the choice of a custom prefix/subdomain but not the full domain. This option is NOT an additional cost.

A custom URL/Domain provides the ability to customize the full URL/Domain of the IntelligenceBank platform. For example, compliance.example.com. This option is an additional cost.

What certificate formats does IntelligenceBank accept?

IntelligenceBank generally accept all formats of certificates and keys. The preference is for PEM base64 encoded files. These are commonly referred to as “Apache” format by most vendors.

What is the process for managing SSL certificate expiry?

The Customer Success team will ensure approximately 30 days advanced notice for the certificate’s renewal.

Is there an outage to migrate to a custom URL/domain?
There could be a brief disruption (up to 10 minutes) to the site while it’s migrated.

Is there an outage to renew a custom URL/domain certificate?

No, there is no outage for renewals.

What sort of DNS records are required?

IntelligenceBank will provide the customer with a DNS CNAME (alias) record. For example:

compliance.exmaple.com via CNAME to uslb1.intelligencebank.com.

Does IntelligenceBank support Apex(ie https://example.com) domains?

An Apex domain is a domain without a subdomain. Ie “example.com” without a prefix/subdomain. Technically yes, but setting up a CNAME record on Apex domain is not allowed by most DNS providers. IntelligenceBank advises customers to use a subdomain unless they are fully aware and capable of the technical challenges surrounding the DNS setup for redirecting an Apex domain.

Does IntelligenceBank support/accept wildcard SSL certificates?

Yes, IntelligenceBank supports wildcard certificates. The certificate must match the domain the custom URL/domain chosen. For example, compliance.example.com will work with a *.example.com wildcard certificate.