Severe openSSH problem

[Itsik]

The bottom line is - I cannot execute custom commands from HPSIM 4.1. I keep getting the MxAuthenticationException error.
The CMS is a Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
Following a recommendation in this forum, I tried using the troubleshooting steps for Win2003 servers as described in the readme.txt but it didn't help.
First step was to check SSH server availabilty:
ssh.exe administrator@ asked for a password. I type the Administrator password, but it keeps responding "permission denied, try again"

I checked the passwd file, and it has a record for the administrator account. To verify, I executed mkpasswd -d -u >> passwd - Nothing.

Then I tried mxagentconfig -a -n -u -p . The response was "configuration failed....:Unable to contact the ssh server on node "

Whenever I try to execute mxagentconfig without switches, the command-line window hangs and I have to kill the mxagentconfig process.

I tried deleting the .ssh folder in the Administrator's profile, but mxagentconfig still hangs.

Can anyone help ? I'm getting frustrated here...

Thanks in advance !

[David Claypool]

mxagentconfig should pop up the graphical screen by default as if you had typed mxagentconfig -g. Locking up when executed indicates a large problem. You might want to open a case with customer support.

[Russ_50]

Did you ever get a resolution to this problem? I get the same error.

EXCEPTION CLASS: com.hp.mx.dtf.sshClient.MxSshFailedConnectionException
EXCEPTION: Unable to contact the SSH server on node

My cms machine is a windows server 2003 box. I have gone through the whitepaper, Secure Shell (SSH) in HP Systems Insight Manager, but no luck. What should I do next? I am totally confused...

[Jon Ward]

See http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=764242 for a verified solution for a similar issue.

Also, SSH uses port TCP port 22. Make certain it is not blocked. If the .ssh folder was created by this specific SSH program, than that is not likely the issue.

[Jon Ward]

I apologize, the article was regarding a HP-UX environment. It may not translate to other environments. Please disregard.

The port 22 issue remains.

[Ron Holton]

I have just spent hours on the phone with HP to correct the problem that I was having with ssh. After many techs I found the one with the answers.

It had to do with the execute-as-user and the distribution to managed nodes. If you are having problems with ssh do the following.

From http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/hpsim/infolibrary.html "Secure Shell (SSH) in HP Systems Insight Manager" Do the troubleshooting and pay special attention to the section "Configuring Systems without an 'Administrator' account". ***IMPORTANT*** Line 2d should read Run mxtool -m -f mxtools.xml -x force.
Do the same for the other xml files.

This will fix the execute-as-user when running the custom commands.

If you can open a command prompt to c:\Program Files\Openssh\bin
Run ssh servernamehere
It will then show the account it is attempting to use to connect if ssh is on that server. Type yes if prompted. Type password. If it connects ssh is ok. The problem is with those xml and the -x force.

It is now working just fine for me.

Good Luck...

[Darrin Rawls]

In a future release, we will be putting the 'execute as user' as a variable in the tool definition files (TDEFS) so that you can just change that in one place (in the GUI probably) and all the tools will use that user. Doh; didn't realize that many folks didn't have the admin account around.

In the meantime, you need to edit each of the tools like you state to put in the 'execute as user'; then everything should work fine.

-Darrin