¶ About SSH Key Pairs on Windows
SSH offers two primary methods for authentication: the traditional username and password approach or the more secure public and private key pair system. With an SSH key pair, the client and server establish a trusted relationship, enabling authentication without requiring a password. For additional security, the private key can be protected with an optional passphrase, adding a layer of encryption to prevent unauthorized access.
When working with our IaaS Cloud platform, SSH key pairs are essential for secure instance access. However, if you generate an SSH key pair on the platform and attempt to connect from a Windows machine using PuTTY, you may encounter compatibility issues. This is because PuTTY does not natively support the OpenSSH key format used by our platform.
To address this, the SSH key pair must be converted into a format compatible with PuTTY. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of using PuTTY and its companion tool, PuTTYgen, to either convert an existing key pair or generate a completely new one. By following these steps, you’ll ensure a secure and reliable connection to your instance from a Windows environment.
¶ Before you Start
To complete the actions below, you must have:
- A user with the permissions to create new resources. For more information, read our Accounts chapter.
- A network setup that allows outbound traffic. For more information, refer to our Network section.
- Downloaded the PuTTY SSH client for Windows.
¶ Getting Started
¶ Converting Existing Key Pairs
If you’ve already followed our chapter on SSH Key Pairs to create and assign a key pair to your instance, you might encounter connection issues when attempting to use PuTTY on a Windows machine. This happens because the SSH key format generated by our platform is not directly compatible with PuTTY. To successfully connect to your instance, you’ll need to convert the key first. Follow these steps to complete the conversion and establish a secure connection:
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Start PuTTYgen from your Windows program list.
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Navigate to Conversions → Import key in the top menu, then choose the private key you downloaded from our IaaS Cloud:
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Finally, click Save Private Key, assign a name to your converted key, and save it to your machine.
¶ Creating new SSH Key Pairs
If you'd prefer to skip the conversion process and generate a public and private key directly on your machine for the SSH key pair, you can do so with our IaaS Cloud. Just follow these steps:
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Start PuTTYgen from your Windows program list.
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Click Generate on the main screen that appears and follow the instructions and move the mouse coursor until a key pair is created:
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Select the Save private key button and save the key on your machine.
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Switch back to your IaaS Cloud account and navigate to Compute → SSH key pairs.
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Click Create an SSH Key Pair, enter a Name, and paste your public key from PuTTYgen into the designated field:
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Finally, refer to our general SSH Key Pair chapter to assign the key pair to a new instance during deployment or to reset the key pair on an existing machine.
¶ Connecting to Instance
With your SSH key pair now converted or newly created, you’re ready to connect using the PuTTY SSH client. Simply follow these straightforward steps:
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Start PuTTY from your Windows program list.
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First, navigate to Connection → SSH → Auth → Credentials in the right main menu, and choose your converted or created private key from your machine:
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Next, return to the Session menu, enter your VM's public IP address and Port, and click Open to initiate the connection:
To make future access easier, click Save to save your current session before opening the SSH connection.
- Once the terminal window opens, enter your instance's username, and the connection to the VM will be established automatically.
¶ Conclusion
Congratulations! You've successfully learned how to convert or generate SSH key pairs for use with the PuTTY SSH client on a Windows machine. This guide has walked you through the necessary steps to ensure a secure and reliable connection to your instances on our IaaS Cloud platform, whether you’re converting an existing key pair or generating a new one directly on your machine.
By following these instructions, you've gained the ability to securely access your cloud instances, streamlining your workflow and enhancing security. Whether you need to connect to an existing instance or deploy new ones with the appropriate key pair, these steps make the process efficient and straightforward.
This tutorial is just the beginning. With SSH key pairs set up correctly, you can continue to explore other advanced features and configurations for managing your cloud instances. Our Documentation and Tutorials are available for further guidance on optimizing your cloud experience.
If you encounter any issues or have questions, our support team is always ready to assist you. Embrace the power of secure connections and make the most of our IaaS Cloud platform!