NetApp 7-mode ssh key config via CLI w/o NFS or CIFS

Configuring NetApp to use SSH with keys without having the root volume holding /etc NFS exported or CIFS shared can be convoluted.

Before I get to the steps, let me list the assumptions:

1. The steps below will be for a non-root user
2. Root/Administrator privs are available to the user who is setting this up.
3. The SSH key for the non-root user has already been generated on the client system.
4. The SSH key can be done with a copy/paste from something reading the file (e.g. xterm or notepad) into a shell window with the CLI login into the filer (e.g. xterm or puTTY)

Basically, the trick is to setup the empty user directories since there isn’t a command to create directories.  Obviously, with NFS or CIFS, the directory can be made fairly easily.

1. Login into filer via CLI with appropriate privileges.
2. # go into advanced mode
   • priv set advanced
3. # find an empty directory using ls – in some cases, /home/http may be empty.
   • ls /home/http
4. # check ndmpd status
   • ndmpd status
5. # if ndmp is not on, turn it on.
   • ndmpd on
6. # When using ndmpcopy, the shortcut of dropping /vol/<root volume> does not work for the destination
   • ndmpcopy /home/http /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<username>
ndmpcopy /home/http /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<username>/.ssh
7. # Create the text file with wrfile and cut and Paste key(s) from your other window, and then ctrl-c
   • wrfile /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<username>/.ssh/authorized_keys
8. # if ndmpd was off, turn it off.
   • ndmpd off
9. # ndmpd creates a restore_symboltable file.  For cleanliness, need to remove that.
   • rm /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<username>/restore_symboltable
   • rm /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<username>/.ssh/restore_symboltable

Short Cut (if a user has already been setup then their ssh keys and directory structure could be copied which saves some steps).
Warning: Technically, the permissions (unix or Windows ACLs) are going to follow with the ndmpcopy, so there is a security risk here, if /etc is NFS mounted or CIFS shared. Keep that in mind.

1. # check ndmpd status
   • ndmpd status
2. # if ndmp is not on, turn it on.
   • ndmpd on
3. # When using ndmpcopy, the shortcut of dropping /vol/<root volume> does not work for the destination
   • ndmpcopy /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<exist user with ssh keys>/vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<new ssh user>

4. # Create the text file with wrfile and cut and Paste key(s) from your other window, and then ctrl-c
   • wrfile /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<new ssh username>/.ssh/authorized_keys
5. # if ndmpd was off, turn it off.
   • ndmpd off
6. # ndmpd creates a restore_symboltable file.  For cleanliness, need to remove that.
   • rm /vol/<root volume>/etc/sshd/<new ssh username>/restore_symboltable

Jim – 11/18/13

@itbycrayon

 (I don’t accept general LinkedIn invites – but if you say you read my blog, it will change my mind)