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navsection: userguide
title: Accessing an Arvados VM with SSH - Windows Environments
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{% comment %}
Copyright (C) The Arvados Authors. All rights reserved.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-3.0
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This document is for accessing an Arvados VM using SSH keys in Windows environments using PuTTY.  If you would like to use to access VM through your browser, please visit the "Accessing an Arvados VM with Webshell":vm-login-with-webshell.html page.  If you are using a Unix-like environment (Linux, macOS, Cygwin, or Windows Subsystem for Linux), please visit the "Accessing an Arvados VM with SSH - Unix Environments":ssh-access-unix.html page.

{% include 'ssh_intro' %}

h1(#gettingkey). Getting your SSH key

(Note: If you are using the SSH client that comes with "Cygwin":http://cygwin.com or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) please use instructions found in the "Accessing an Arvados VM with SSH - Unix Environments":ssh-access-unix.html page.)

We will be using PuTTY to connect to Arvados. "PuTTY":http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ is a free (MIT-licensed) Win32 Telnet and SSH client. PuTTY includes all the tools a Windows user needs to create private keys and make SSH connections to your virtual machines in the Arvados Cloud.

You can "download PuTTY from its Web site":http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/.  Note that you should download the installer or .zip file with all of the PuTTY tools (PuTTYtel is not required).

If you downloaded the zip file, extract it to the location you wish to install the PuTTY applications. This document assumes that you installed PuTTY in the default directory under @C:\Program Files\@ or @C:\Program Files (x86)\@ (if you are using a 64 bit operating system).

h3. Step 1 - Adding PuTTY to the PATH

# After downloading PuTTY and installing it, you should have a PuTTY folder in @C:\Program Files\@ or @C:\Program Files (x86)\@ (if you are using a 64 bit operating system).
# Open the Control Panel.
# Select _Advanced System Settings_, and choose _Environment Variables_.
If you are using newer systems like Windows 10, you may use the following to open _Advanced System Settings_. Open Control Panel. Click on _System and Security_. Click on _System_. Click on _Advanced system settings_ and choose _Environment Variables..._
# Under system variables, find and edit @PATH@.
# If you installed PuTTY in @C:\Program Files\PuTTY\@, add the following to the end of PATH:
<code>;C:\Program Files\PuTTY</code>
If you installed PuTTY in @C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY\@, add the following to the end of PATH:
<code>;C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY</code>
# Click through the OKs to close all the dialogs you’ve opened.

h3. Step 2 - Creating a Public Key

# Start PuTTYgen from the Start Menu or the folder where it was installed.
# At the bottom of the window, make sure the ‘Number of bits in a generated key’ field is set to 4096.
# Click Generate and follow the instructions to generate a key.
# Click the _Save public key_ button.
# Click the _Save private key_ button (we recommend using a strong passphrase).
# Select the text of the Public Key and copy it to the clipboard.

h3. Step 3 - Set up Pageant

Pageant is a PuTTY utility that manages your private keys so is not necessary to enter your private key passphrase every time you make a new SSH connection.

# Start Pageant from the Start Menu or the folder where it was installed.
# Pageant will now be running in the system tray. Click the Pageant icon to configure.
# Choose _Add Key_ and add the private key which you created in the previous step.

{% include 'ssh_addkey' %}

h3. Initial configuration

h4. Connecting directly

# Open PuTTY from the Start Menu.
# On the Session screen set the Host Name (or IP address) to “shell.ClusterID.example.com”, which is the hostname listed in the _Virtual Machines_ page.
# On the Session screen set the Port to “22”.
# On the Connection %(rarr)&rarr;% Data screen set the Auto-login username to the username listed in the *Login name* column on the Arvados Workbench Virtual machines_ page.
# Return to the Session screen. In the Saved Sessions box, enter a name for this configuration and click Save.

h4. Connecting through switchyard

# Open PuTTY from the Start Menu.
# On the Session screen set the Host Name (or IP address) to “shell”, which is the hostname listed in the _Virtual Machines_ page.
# On the Session screen set the Port to “22”.
# On the Connection %(rarr)&rarr;% Data screen set the Auto-login username to the username listed in the *Login name* column on the Arvados Workbench Virtual machines_ page.
# On the Connection %(rarr)&rarr;% Proxy screen set the Proxy Type to “Local”.
# On the Connection %(rarr)&rarr;% Proxy screen in the “Telnet command, or local proxy command” box enter:
<code>plink -P 2222 turnout@switchyard.{{ site.arvados_api_host }} %host</code>
Make sure there is no newline at the end of the text entry.
# Return to the Session screen. In the Saved Sessions box, enter a name for this configuration and click Save.

_Note: We recommend you do not delete the “Default” Saved Session._

h3. Connecting to the VM

# Open PuTTY from the Start Menu.
# Click on the Saved Session name you created in the previous section.
# Click Load to load those saved session settings.
# Click Open to open the SSH window at the command prompt. You will now be logged into your virtual machine.

_Note_: If you see a hung PuTTY terminal window with no further action: open a new _Command Prompt_ window using the Windows -> Start menu and type <code>plink -P 2222 turnout@switchyard.{{ site.arvados_api_host }} shell</code> in it. Please make sure to replace *shell* with the hostname listed in the _Virtual Machines_ page. Hit enter and type _y_ when prompted to cache the session state. Go back and start PuTTY session using the start menu button.

You should now be able to log into the Arvados VM and "check your environment.":check-environment.html