Generating SSH Keys for Parallels H-Sphere Servers

Parallels H-Sphere Control Panel interacts with its Unix-based servers via SSH protocol. For user to have permanent access to Parallels H-Sphere remote servers and to log into them automatically without entering password each time, the SSH public keys for the cpanel user on the CP box should be copied and added to each Unix box in Parallels H-Sphere cluster.

Normally, Parallels H-Sphere does this automatically during installation. However, sometimes there is a need to regenerate or restore SSH keys. This document will guide you through the process of generating SSH keys on the CP box and adding them to each Parallels H-Sphere server.

To generate SSH keys:

1. Enter the CP box as the cpanel user.
2. Check if you have SSH public keys generated for the cpanel user.

   RSA:

   $ cat ~cpanel/.ssh/identity.pub

   DSA:

   $ cat ~cpanel/.ssh/id_dsa.pub

3. If any of these files does not exist, generate missing SSH key for the cpanel user by the corresponding command (passphrases must be empty):

   RSA:

   $ ssh-keygen -t rsa1

   DSA:

   $ ssh-keygen -d

4. Place the public SSH keys of the CP server's cpanel user into the corresponding files in the /root/.ssh folder on each Parallels H-Sphere box:
   1. Log into an Parallels H-Sphere box as root.
   2. Create the authentication key files for root if they don't exist:

      RSA:

      # touch /root/.ssh/authorized_keys

      DSA:

      # touch /root/.ssh/authorized_keys2

   3. Insert the RSA key from the ~cpanel/.ssh/identity.pub file on the CP server into /root/.ssh/authorized_keys on this box,
      and the DSA key from ~cpanel/.ssh/id_dsa.pub into /root/.ssh/authorized_keys2, respectively.