Knowledge Base

Configuring Data Explorer to Use Port 443

This article outlines how to configure Data Explorer to run over HTTPS on port 443.
These instructions reflect a configuration used in a development/test environment.


Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have administrative rights on the server and access to PowerShell.


1. Ensure a Certificate Is Installed

Data Explorer requires an SSL/TLS certificate for HTTPS communication.

  • If a certificate is already available on the server, verify that it includes the correct DNS Name entry (e.g., dataexplorer.AlphaMachine).
  • If no certificate exists, you may create a self-signed certificate for development/testing purposes.

Record the certificate’s Thumbprint, as it will be required later.


2. Remove Any Previous Data Explorer Configuration on Port 14652

If Data Explorer was previously configured to use port 14652, remove those bindings.
In PowerShell, run:

netsh http delete urlacl url=https://*:14652/
netsh http del sslcert ipport=0.0.0.0:14652

This ensures that legacy bindings do not interfere with the new configuration.


3. Configure Data Explorer to Use Port 443

Run the following commands in PowerShell:

netsh http add urlacl url=https://dataexplorer.AlphaMachine:443/ user=Everyone
netsh http add sslcert ipport=0.0.0.0:443 certhash={AAA} appid="{BBB}"

Replace the placeholders as follows:

  • AAA → The certificate Thumbprint from Step 1
  • BBB → A generated GUID. Create one using: [guid]::NewGuid()

Important:
AlphaMachine should match one of the DNS Name entries in the certificate.


4. Allow NTLM Authentication for the Hostname

To allow NTLM authentication for the hostname that resolves to the local machine, add it to the BackConnectionHostNames registry key.

New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0" `
-Name "BackConnectionHostNames" -Value "dataexplorer.AlphaMachine" `
-PropertyType MultiString -Force

This tells Windows that it is safe to allow NTLM authentication for this hostname even when it points back to the same machine.


5. Add Hostname to the Local Hosts File

Edit the hosts file located at:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Add the following entry at the bottom:

127.0.0.1    dataexplorer.AlphaMachine

This ensures that the hostname resolves to the local machine and works together with the registry entry in Step 4.


6. Access Data Explorer

Once all steps have been completed, access Data Explorer using a browser:

https://dataexplorer.AlphaMachine/