Create and update firewall rules; manage SSH access info and IP addresses for the instances in your IDrive®  Compute account.

Information Included in the Article

• Generate a New SSH Key
• Add an SSH Key
• View the Details of an SSH Key
• Delete an SSH Key

SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol  that communicates with servers securely over a network. SSH Keys can be used to connect to your instance(s) via an encrypted connection. It is recommended that you implement SSH key-based authentication while configuring the VPS infrastructure.

Generate a New SSH Key

To generate a new SSH Key on Linux, MacOS, and Windows, follow these instructions:

Note: You can create a new key pair, if required.
Windows users who do not have OpenSSH installed on their computer can install and use PuTTY.

1. Open a terminal and run the following commands:
   

   ssh-keygen

2. You will be prompted to save and name the key.
   

   a. Generating a public/private rsa key pair
   Enter the file name in which you want to save the key:
   (/Users/USER/.ssh/id_rsa)
   b. Next, you will be asked to create and confirm a passphrase for the key. 
   This step is highly recommended.
   Enter passphrase (Keep it empty if you do not want to enter a passphrase):
   Enter same passphrase again:

   By default two files will be generated, id_rsa and id_rsa.pub.
3. Copy and paste the contents of the .pub file, typically id_rsa.pub, into the SSH Key content field.
   

   cat ~ /.ssh/id_rsa.pub

   A new SSH Key will be generated. You can add the key to your IDrive^® Compute account and use it during new instance creation to log in to the instance securely without requiring a password.

Add an SSH Key 

Setting up SSH keys provides a secure way to log in to your server. 
Follow the steps to add an SSH key to your IDrive^® Compute account:

1. Sign in to your IDrive^® Compute account.
2. Click the SSH Keys tab.
3. Click Add SSH Key. A slider window will open.
4. Enter the Key Name.
5. Enter your existing SSH Public Key details.
6. Click Add Key.
   
   
   
   
   
   The added SSH key will be displayed in the SSH Keys tab.

View the Details of an SSH Key

You can view the details of an SSH key from your IDrive^® Compute account. 
Follow the steps to view the details of an SSH key:

1. Sign in to your IDrive^® Compute account.
2. Go to the SSH Key tab, select the SSH Key whose details you want to see.
3. Click Actions and select View Details. A slider window will open.
   
   
   
   
   
   You can view the details of the selected SSH key in the slider window.
   

Delete an SSH Key

You can delete an SSH key if not required. 
Follow the steps to delete an SSH key:

1. Sign in to your IDrive^® Compute account.
2. Go to the SSH Keys tab, select the SSH Key you want to delete.
3. Click Actions and select Delete.
4. Click Delete in the popup.