Windows Server 2019 Firewall Settings Blocking Key Pair Authentication

Title: SSH Key Pair Authentication with SFTP for File Uploads on a Windows Server 2019 Cloud Server

This article explains how to set up SSH key pair authentication for SFTP file uploads on a Windows Server 2019 cloud server. This method is beneficial for vendors who use FTP sites and ensures a smooth workflow during development.

Prerequisites

1. A Windows Server 2019 cloud server.
2. An SFTP client, such as FileZilla.

Steps to Set Up SSH Key Pair Authentication

Step 1: Generate SSH Key Pair

1. Open a terminal or command prompt on your local machine.

2. Run the following command to generate an SSH key pair:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

Replace [email protected] with your email address.

3. When prompted, enter a file name for the key pair (e.g., id_rsa). Press Enter to accept the default location.

4. Enter a passphrase for the key pair when prompted. This passphrase will be required every time you use the key pair.

Step 2: Copy the Public Key

1. Navigate to the .ssh directory created in your home directory:

cd ~/.ssh

2. Copy the public key (id_rsa.pub) to your clipboard.

Step 3: Upload the Public Key to the Server

1. Open your SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla) and connect to your Windows Server 2019 cloud server using your SFTP credentials.

2. Navigate to the .ssh directory on the server and create a new directory for your key pair:

mkdir your_username

Replace your_username with your username on the server.

3. Upload the public key (id_rsa.pub) to the newly created directory on the server.

Step 4: Configure SSH Key Pair Authentication

1. On the server, open the authorized_keys file in the .ssh directory using a text editor (e.g., Notepad):

notepad authorized_keys

2. Paste your public key into the file and save it.

3. Set the correct permissions for the .ssh directory and its contents:

chmod 700 .ssh
chmod 600 .ssh/authorized_keys

Step 5: Test the Setup

1. Attempt to connect to the server using your SFTP client.

2. When prompted, enter your username and password. If the SSH key pair authentication is set up correctly, you will be logged in without needing to enter your password again.

References

1. SSH Key Pair Generation
2. SFTP Client - FileZilla
3. Configuring SSH Key Pair Authentication
4. Secure Copy (SCP) with SFTP