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Key Pairs

SSH keys for secure connections to cloud instances across AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud, OVH, and OpenStack.

Overview

Key Pairs are SSH keys used to establish secure connections to running machines.

Creating a Key Pair

  1. Open the Keys panel from the sidebar
  2. Click Create Key Pair
  3. Configure:
  4. Label -- a descriptive name (e.g., "Production SSH Key")
  5. Cloud Provider -- AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud, OVH, or OpenStack
  6. Download the private key immediately

Critical: Download Immediately

Download your private key as soon as it is created. It cannot be retrieved later for security reasons. Store it securely with restricted file permissions (chmod 600 on Linux/Mac).

Key Pair Actions

Action Description
Create Key Pair Generate a new SSH key pair on the selected cloud provider
Retrieve Key Pairs Sync existing key pairs from your cloud account
Customize Change the label or description
Delete Remove the key pair from RosettaHub

Using Key Pairs

Key Pairs are used when:

  • Connecting to instances via SSH -- the primary use case
  • Configuring formations -- formations reference a Key Pair for SSH access to provisioned machines
  • Automated deployments -- CI/CD pipelines use Key Pairs for secure machine access
  • Secure file transfers -- SCP/SFTP operations require SSH authentication

Connecting to a Machine

Once a machine is running, you can connect using the associated Key Pair through:

  • Browser-based SSH -- click Connect on the session
  • PuTTY -- download the key in PuTTY format via Get Private Keys (PuTTY)
  • Native SSH -- use the downloaded .pem file with your local SSH client
  • WinSCP -- for file transfer over SSH

Best Practices

Security

  • Store private keys in encrypted storage
  • Set file permissions to chmod 600 (Linux/Mac) or restrict access (Windows)
  • Never share private keys via email or chat
  • Use different Key Pairs for different projects or environments

Organization

  • Use descriptive labels that indicate the key's purpose and target cloud
  • Document which formations reference which Key Pairs
  • Review and clean up unused Key Pairs periodically