Hello Michele-
To generate a CSR, you need to create CSR parameters first which define the attributes (common name and all that)
To do so, go to configuration mode, enter this:
"crypto csr-params MDS_CSR_2012"
Then define all the paramters you want to include. The following are the most common and an example of a certificate signing request I would create for www.cisco.com:
common-name www.cisco.com
organization-name Customer Advocacy
organization-unit Technical Assistance Center
email WebAdmin@cisco.com
country US
state CA
locality San Jose
Once you have that, you can go back to global and issue "crypto generate csr MDS_CSR_2012 MDS_KEY_2012.PEM"
Regards,
Chris Higgins