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Can a single-domain certificate be installed on multiple servers?

A single-domain certificate can be installed on multiple servers, provided that all these servers use the same domain name. For example:

Load balancing scenario​

When multiple servers jointly serve the same domain name (e.g. www.example.com), the single-domain certificate can be deployed on all servers to ensure normal HTTPS communication on all nodes.

Multi-server deployment​

If the same domain name resolves to multiple servers (e.g. primary and standby servers), the certificate can be installed on all servers to achieve unified HTTPS encryption.

Notes
  • Private key security: The certificate private key must be properly kept. Sharing the private key across multiple servers may increase the risk of leakage. It is recommended to use key management tools (such as HSM and Vault) to enhance security.
  • Not applicable for different domain names: A single-domain certificate is bound to only one specific domain name. If you need to protect multiple domain names (e.g. api.example.com 和 blog.example.com), you need to purchase a multi-domain certificate (SAN certificate) or a wildcard certificate (e.g. *.example.com).

Summary:​

A single-domain certificate supports multi-server deployment, but you must ensure that:

  • All servers use the same domain name.
  • Private key management complies with security specifications.
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