Secure Shell - SSH Tool

Aqua Data Studio includes an SSH Environment - an interactive Unix-like command-line interface. SSH is used for remote login and secure communications with remote servers over unsecured networks. The SSH interface is integrated in the IDE and utilizes all Aqua Data Studio GUI capabilities such as a tabbed window interface, customized tabs, search functions, keyboard mapping, docking framework, and Shortcut Toolbar shortcuts. Advanced Server Properties also allow the use of Private Key Authentication.

Registering an SSH Server

This is very similar to how database servers are registered. Once you have installed Aqua Data Studio you will need to register your servers before you get started. There are two methods of registering ssh servers, both of which launch the Register SSH Server dialog

• You can navigate to the Main Application Menu to Server, then select Register SSH Server
• You can right-click in the Servers Browser to bring up the context menu and select Register SSH Server

Both of this launch the Register SSH Server dialog, which lets you fill in the properties of the SSH server you are attempting to connect to.

The properties of any registered SSH server can be viewed and altered by right-clicking on a server in the Servers Browser and selecting "Properties."

It is possible to register servers by using a configuration copied from another user. The servers from a copied configuration will populate the Servers Browser, but passwords will have to be entered within the properties of each one. Passwords do not copy when configurations are duplicated. See the "Configuration & Connection Files" section for more information on sharing and portability of Aqua Data Studio configurations.

SSH Server Registration in Aqua Data Studio

  To Register a SSH Server :

• Create a new Server Group in the Server Node
• Right-click on the Server Group - A Popup Menu Appears. Click on the Item which displays Register SSH Server
• Specify a name. Enter Authentication details, Host, and Port.
• Set Advanced Properties in the Advanced Tab for backspace key, character encoding, login macro settings, and Private Key Authentication,
• Once the Server is successfully registered, it appears in the Server Group Node. You can now Open the Server.
• After successfully registering a server, you can also view hardware details and other system statistics by browsing it with the SSH Browser. The right-click "Connect" menu option allows using the SSH Browser.

 To configure Port Forwarding :

• Enter the required information in the Port Forwarding section.
• Please see Configuring an SSH Tunnel for more information.

Troubleshooting Registrations

If you face any problem during SSH Server Registration, there might be a few things that you are doing wrong :

• Check the User name and Password. Most problems are solved if you enter the correct authentication information.
• Perform Socket connection test - Click on the Ping button.
• Make sure that the SSH Server to which you are trying to connect via Aqua Data Studio is up and running.

Tip : Tick the ’Save Password’ check box and you may quickly connect to an SSH server without having to type in the authentication every time you Open.

How to edit SSH server properties

 
To Edit the SSH Server Properties of an already Registered SSH Server, in Aqua Data Studio :

• Locate the SSH Server in the Servers Browser.
• Right Click on the Server - A Popup Menu Appears.
• Click on the Item which displays Properties.

You can change Server Properties like

• Name
• Type
• Tab Color
• Tab Title Format
• Authentication
• Location - which includes Host and Port
• and Advanced Properties for Private Key Authentication
• Port Forwarding information

How to register an SSH Server Clone

 To create an SSH Server Clone of an already Registered Server, in Aqua Data Studio:

• Locate the Server in the Server Browser.
• Right-click on the Server - A Popup Menu Appears. ( or select Server - Register Server Clone from the Main Application Menu once a server in the list is highlighted )
• Click on the Item which displays Register SSH Server Clone.
• Once you provide a new name for the clone, a new SSH Server is registered.

You can now connect to the newly registered Server.

Using Aqua Data Studio to open an SSH Server

 To Open a registered Server :

• Locate the SSH Server in the Server Browser
• Select the SSH Server
• Right-click on the SSH Server - A Popup Menu Appears. Click on Open.

SSH Connection Toolbar

Once a connection succeeds, the Connection Toolbar becomes visible. It includes buttons that allow you to Reconnect, Copy selected text, Paste text from the clipboard, Find text, and edit Options.

The Options button allows changing the Font, History Buffer Size, Tab Size as well as the Foreground, Background, and Selection Background colors. Changes made to the Options take effect immediately.

To share or copy registered server connections for use on another computer, see Configuration & Connection Files

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Using Advanced Properties (Advanced Tab)

Edit the SSH Server Properties to use Advanced Properties:

• Locate the server in the Servers Browser
• Right Click on the Server - A Popup Appears
• Click on the item which displays Properties
• Go to the Advanced Tab and make changes

With the options in Advanced properties of a Server, you can:

• Choose Backspace key settings
• Create and edit Login Marcro Commands which run as soon as you connect.
• Alter the Connection Timeout
• Alter Command Timeout
• Choose an End-of-line (EOL) Character.
• Browse and select a Private Key generated by the Tools -> Key Generator for use in Private Key Authentication. ( see more about generating public and private keys below )

Using the Key Generator Tool to create a Public/Private Key Pair for use in Authentication

To create Keys for use in authorized_keys files, select Tools > Key Generator from the Main Application Menu. The tool allows for creating and saving both public/private key pairs using SSH-2 RSA or SSH-2 DSA with 1024 bit or 2048 bit length. By default, SSH-2 RSA is selected with 1024 bits key length.

1. Click the Generate button
2. Enter a Key Passphrase
3. Confirm the Key Passphrase
4. Save the Private Key (the file will have the extension .ppk). It's this file you would browse to in the SSH Server Advanced Properties - Authentication: Private Key File.
5. Save the Public Key or Copy the Public Key by clicking the Copy to Clipboard button. This must be pasted into an OpenSSH authorized_keys file on the SSH Server.

Using the Key Agent Options to cache Private Key Passphrases in Memory

If you do not wish to store your private key passphrase to disk, enable the Key Agent within File > Options > SSH Terminal. 

This allows using a private key but instead of reading the passphrase from the registered server connection properties on disk, you are prompted for the passphrase in the terminal window the very first time you connect to the server.

Once you enter the passphrase at the prompt, the passphrase is kept in application memory until Aqua Data Studio is closed. As long as you do not close Aqua Data Studio the cached passphrase will be used each time you connect to the server.