Task Accomplished: Connecting EC2 Instances Using SSH Agent Forwarding ??

Today, I explored how to connect from one EC2 instance (Test Server) to another (Demo Server) using PuTTY and Pageant for SSH agent forwarding.

What is SSH Agent Forwarding? SSH Agent Forwarding ?? is a technique that allows you to securely forward your SSH credentials from one server to another without directly placing SSH keys on each server. Instead, your key remains only on the first server (or local machine), and the authentication is forwarded to the next server.

Why Use SSH Agent Forwarding?

Advantages:

?? Enhanced Security: Keeps private keys on your local machine instead of adding them to each server.

?? Convenience: Enables seamless access to multiple servers, reducing the need to manage separate keys.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how I connected a test server to a demo server on AWS EC2 using SSH Agent Forwarding with PuTTY and Pageant.

Steps I Followed:

1?? Start Pageant:

• Launched Pageant to manage my SSH keys.
• Added my .ppk key to Pageant.

2?? Configure PuTTY for the Test Server:

• Opened PuTTY, entered the IP address or DNS of the test server, and ensured that agent forwarding is enabled under Connection > SSH > Auth

3?? Connect to the Test Server:

• Clicked Open in PuTTY and logged in using the appropriate username (e.g., ec2-user).

4?? SSH from Test Server to Demo Server:

• In the terminal of the Test Server, used the following command to connect to the demo server:

ssh <username>@<demo-server-IP>
Ex: ssh [email protected]        

Note: Ensure your public key is added to the authorized_keys file on the demo server.

5?? Verification:

• Confirmed successful connection to the demo server without needing to directly add a key pair to it.

Conclusion

Using SSH Agent Forwarding with tools like PuTTY and Pageant offers a secure and streamlined approach to managing connections between EC2 instances. By forwarding SSH credentials rather than transferring private keys between servers, this method not only enhances security but also simplifies multi-server workflows. This approach can be invaluable for cloud professionals and DevOps engineers who manage complex server environments.

Key Takeaways:

• Security ??: Keep private keys on your local machine, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
• Efficiency ?: Seamlessly connect to multiple servers without managing multiple key pairs.

With this setup, you’ll be able to handle secure, flexible connections between servers and focus more on your work and less on managing credentials. Embrace the power of SSH Agent Forwarding to keep your connections secure and convenient as you continue on your cloud journey!