On the Connection tab, you can configure SPP to authenticate to a managed system using an SSH authentication key. To rotate SSH keys, you must select the Manage SSH Key option in the asset's profile change schedule. For more information, see Adding SSH key change settings..

NOTE: This option is not available for all operating systems. But if a SPP asset requires an SSH host key and does not have one, Check SSH Key, Change SSH Key, and Test Connection will fail. For more information, see Connectivity failures..

The information that displays depends on whether you choose to automatically generate the SSH key or import and manually deploy the SSH key.

Table 35: SSH Key authentication type properties
Property Description

SSH Key Generation and Deployment

Select one of the following options:

  • Automatically generate and deploy a new SSH Key

    • In the Password field, enter the password for the SSH Key.

  • Automatically generate a new SSH Key that I will deploy myself

  • Import an SSH Key that I will deploy myself

    NOTE:SPP does not currently manage the options for an authorized key. If an imported key has any options configured in the authorized keys file on the asset, these options will not be preserved when the key is rotated by SPP.

    1. Click Browse. On the Import an SSH Key dialog, click Browse then select the Private Key File.

    2. Enter a Password, if desired. A password is required if the private key is encrypted.

    3. Click Import.

Key Comment

(Optional) Enter a description of this SSH key. Maximum length of 225 characters.

Account Name

Enter the service account name that SPP is to use for management tasks. This is the account SPP uses to install the SSH authentication key on the asset. For more information, see About service accounts..

Privilege Elevation Command

If required, enter a privilege elevation command (such as sudo). This is used as a prefix for commands that require privileged access on the system and to manage accounts on Unix-based systems; that is, to check and change SSH keys and to discover accounts.

Sudo commands follow.

  • AuthorizedKeyCommand
Specify a program to look up the user's public keys
  • cat
  • chmod
  • chown
  • cp
  • echo
  • egrep
  • find
  • grep
  • host
  • ls
  • mkdir
  • mv
  • rm
  • sed
  • sshd
  • ssh-keygen
  • tee
  • test
  • touch
  • usermod

When adding an asset, this command is used to perform Test Connection. For more information, see About Test Connection..

The privilege elevation command must run non-interactively, that is, without prompting for a password. For more information, see Preparing Unix-based systems.

The limit is 255 characters.

Auto Accept SSH Host Key

Select this option to have SPP automatically accept the SSH host key when it creates the SPP asset.

When this option is selected, SPP displays the thumbprint of the SSH host key that was discovered. When a managed system requiring an SSH host key does not have one, Check SSH Key will fail. For more information, see Connectivity failures..

Test Connection

Click this button to verify that SPP can log in to this asset using the service account credentials you have provided. For more information, see About Test Connection..

Port

Enter the port number used by SSH to log in to the managed system.

Required

Connection Timeout

Enter how long to wait (in seconds) for both the connect and command timeout.

Default: 20 seconds

(Custom platform operation

e.g Check System Properties)

If there is a custom parameter in the custom platform script, enter the custom parameter here. The list of system parameters are here: Writing a custom platform script. Any parameter not in the list is a custom parameter.