Create an SSH key pair

This topic describes how to create an SSH key pair in the ECS console. After a key pair is created, its private key is automatically downloaded. You must securely lock away the private key. To log on to an ECS instance that is bound with an SSH key pair, you must have the private key. You can have a maximum of 500 key pairs within a region.

1. Log on to the ECS console.
2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Network & Security > SSH Key Pairs.
3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
4. Click Create SSH Key Pair.
5. On the Create SSH Key Pair page, configure the following parameters.

   Parameter	Description
   SSH Key Pair Name	The key pair name must be unique. The name must be 2 to 128 characters in length and can contain letters, digits, periods (.), underscores (_), hyphens (-), and colons (:). It cannot start with a digit or special character.
   Creation Type	The method to create the SSH key pair. We recommend that you select Auto-create and save the private key in a timely manner. Auto-create: The system automatically creates a key pair for you. The private key is automatically downloaded after the key pair is created. You must securely lock away the private key. Import: You can import a Base64-encoded public key.
   Tag	The tag bound to the SSH key pair. You can bind one or more tags to a key pair to facilitate resource search and aggregation. For more information, see Overview.

6. Click OK.