In the open key proof proof management manner which it manages with

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain adequate processing without duplicate registration. ;SOLUTION: Tree structure management is applied to a name (DN) written in applications where high-degree layers are adopted for a wide address area and a lowest layer is adopted for a general name, and the method is provided with a management table 15 for each layer other than the lowest layer and the layers higher by one ranking than the lowest layer where an entry name and each table name are registered, and each leaf higher by ranking from the lowest layer is provided with a certificate table 21 whose entry is the general name to register its certificate. A DN in an application is divided into each layer to check in which part of the table 15 each layer is in existence. When the checking is successful and the type of the application is 'generation', a public key certificate is generated when the general name in matching with the lowermost part of the DN is not in existence in the table 21, and the general name and the certificate name are registered in the table 21. When the type is 'addition' and the general name in matching with the lowermost part of the DN is in existence in the table 21, the certificate registered already is used to authenticate the signature of the application. When the checking is successful, the certificate is newly generated and the certificate is additionally registered. When the type is 'delete' and the general name in matching with the lowermost part of the DN is in existence in the table 21, the certificate registered already is used to authenticate the signature of the application and when the checking is successful, the corresponding general name and certificate are deleted.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1998,JPO