4.2 Gathering Destination Server Information

The Server Migration Utility needs certain information in order to communicate with the ssh (secure shell) daemon on the destination Linux server. The ssh daemon allows root access for the utility to run the programs required for migration locally on the Linux server.

For more information about why the Server Migration Utility needs the root password and what the utility does with it, see the following section in the GroupWise Administration Guide for your version of GroupWise:

The first time you attempt to log in to the Linux server, you are asked to verify the RSA key fingerprint for the server.

SSH does not use certificate files, key files, and certificate authorities as is done for SSL encryption. Instead, SSH generates a string of numbers that is a special checksum of the server host key. You obtain the equivalent string from the server itself by using the following command on the Linux server:

ssh-keygen -l -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key.pub

Compare the string you receive from the Linux server with the string presented by the Server Migration Utility. If the strings match, you have a secure connection.

In general, it is safe to simply accept the RSA key fingerprint presented by the Server Migration Utility. You might decide not to perform the actual comparison.