Cloud Platform SSL Deployment

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers multiple SSL implementation options depending on your architecture. For websites served through CloudFront or Application Load Balancers, AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) provides free SSL certificates with automated renewal. In the ACM console, request a certificate for your domain, complete DNS or email validation, and the certificate becomes available for use with AWS services. Attach the certificate to your CloudFront distribution or load balancer through their respective consoles—no manual installation required.

Google Cloud Platform provides similar integration through Google-managed SSL certificates for Load Balancers and Cloud CDN. In the Cloud Console, navigate to Network Services > Load Balancing, edit your load balancer, and in the frontend configuration, create a new certificate. Choose "Create Google-managed certificate," enter your domain, and Google handles provisioning and renewal. For Compute Engine instances, you'll need to manually install certificates on your web server, similar to traditional VPS deployments.

Microsoft Azure offers several SSL options through Azure App Service, Application Gateway, and Azure CDN. App Service Certificates integrate directly with your web apps, providing automated installation and renewal. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your App Service, select "TLS/SSL settings," then "Private Key Certificates." You can purchase an App Service Certificate directly or upload existing certificates. For Application Gateway, upload your certificate in the HTTP settings, selecting it for your HTTPS listener. Azure Key Vault integration provides centralized certificate management across services.

Cloud platforms excel at certificate management for dynamic, scalable applications. Their certificate services integrate with auto-scaling groups, container orchestration, and serverless functions. However, this integration often creates vendor lock-in—certificates provisioned through AWS ACM only work within AWS services. Consider this limitation when designing multi-cloud architectures or planning potential platform migrations. For maximum flexibility, you might provision certificates independently and upload them to cloud services.