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Timestamp Formatting Connector

The Timestamp Formatting Connector creates RFC 3161 timestamp token structures for Timestamping. Select it as the Signature Formatting Connector on a Signing Profile that uses the Timestamping workflow.

The connector formats the timestamp token; it does not hold the signing key or perform the cryptographic signing operation. The managed key associated with the Signing Profile remains in the configured cryptographic token.

Configure the Signing Profile​

The Signature Formatting Connector is required when the Signing Workflow Type is set to Timestamping. Select an available Timestamp Formatting Connector in the Signing Profile workflow properties.

For the other timestamping settings available on the profile, see Timestamping configuration.

Connector attributes​

The following optional attributes control content added to timestamp tokens. When an attribute is not set, the connector uses its default value.

AttributeTypeRequiredDefaultEffect
Include TSA Name (includeTsaName)BooleanNotrueIncludes the TSA's distinguished name in the tsaName field of TSTInfo.
Include CMS Algorithm Protection (includeCMSAlgorithmProtection)BooleanNotrueAdds the id-aa-CMSAlgorithmProtection signed attribute defined by RFC 6211, binding the digest and signature algorithms.
Include Signing Time Attribute (includeSigningTimeAttribute)BooleanNotrueAdds the signingTime CMS signed attribute.

Other timestamp properties—including qualified status, accuracy, policy identifier, serial number, and nonce—are determined by the Signing Profile, its related configurations, or the timestamp request. They are not Timestamp Formatting Connector attributes.

Timestamp extensions​

A timestamp token can contain extensions requested by the client and extensions added by the platform. When both sources provide an extension with the same object identifier (OID), the platform-provided extension takes precedence. A client therefore cannot override or suppress an extension controlled by the platform.

Qualified timestamp​

When Qualified Timestamp is enabled on the Signing Profile, the connector adds the qcStatements extension containing esi4-qtstStatement-1 (OID 0.4.0.19422.1.1), as required by ETSI EN 319 422 for a qualified electronic time-stamp.

When Qualified Timestamp is disabled, the token does not contain this qualified electronic time-stamp statement. See Timestamping configuration for details about the profile setting and its time quality requirement.