Which statement must be true for a client to successfully connect to an SSL offload vServer without SSL errors?

Which statement must be true for a client to successfully connect to an SSL offload vServer without SSL errors?

• A. The Server Certificate is Bound to the Load-Balancing VServer
• B. The Root Certificate is Installed on the Client's Device
• C. The Root Certificate is Installed on the Citrix ADC
• D. The Client Certificate is Installed on the Backend

Answer: (A)

When SSL is terminated at the load-balancing vServer (SSL offload), the vServer must present a valid server certificate to the client during the TLS handshake. Binding that server certificate to the vServer is what enables the ADC to actually present it to clients, so the TLS handshake can complete and the connection can be established without SSL errors. If there’s no certificate bound to the vServer, the client cannot verify identity or establish encryption, leading to SSL errors. The other statements depend on trust relationships. The client’s device only needs a root certificate installed if the server certificate isn’t issued by a CA already trusted by that client; with publicly trusted certificates, no extra root install is required. Installing a root certificate on the Citrix ADC or on the backend doesn’t enable the client connection in the same way—the critical factor for a successful initial handshake is that a properly bound server certificate (and its chain) is presented to the client.

When SSL is terminated at the load-balancing vServer (SSL offload), the vServer must present a valid server certificate to the client during the TLS handshake. Binding that server certificate to the vServer is what enables the ADC to actually present it to clients, so the TLS handshake can complete and the connection can be established without SSL errors. If there’s no certificate bound to the vServer, the client cannot verify identity or establish encryption, leading to SSL errors.

The other statements depend on trust relationships. The client’s device only needs a root certificate installed if the server certificate isn’t issued by a CA already trusted by that client; with publicly trusted certificates, no extra root install is required. Installing a root certificate on the Citrix ADC or on the backend doesn’t enable the client connection in the same way—the critical factor for a successful initial handshake is that a properly bound server certificate (and its chain) is presented to the client.