Using jumpssh to ssh into a remote network devices over a windows jumpbox (Windows server 2012 R2 standard)

[pn2020]

Does anyone know if python jumpssh library works when the jumpbox is a windows? If you have a working implementation of jumpssh over a windows server jumpbox, I would love to hear your feedbacks and sharing. Do I have to install openssh on the windows jumpbox to make it work?  If you have suggestions for other solutions, I would love to hear.

From its documentation, it seems it would only work with a linux jumpbox.

https://pypi.org/project/jumpssh/

Thanks.

[Manoj Papisetty]

Which part of it is broken? SSH to the jump host itself or after that?

Are you able to SSH to the Windows jump host manually? (Like a putty or from terminal?)

[pn2020]

Unfortunately, I can't.  I got @ssh_exchange_identification: read: Connection reset by peer, after being hung for a while.

Looking like, I have to talk to the server system admin to see if openssh can be installed on the windows jumpbox.

[pn2020]

Actually, ssh from a local cmd widows to the windows jumpbox works.  But doesn't look like ssh is installed on the windows jumpbox, ie, ssh cli command isn't recognized.

[omz]

Hi 

You do need to install OpenSSH server on Windows Jumpbox - 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_install_firstuse

[pn2020]

Thanks everyone for your feedbacks.  I will look more into this.

[omz · Accepted solution]

Hi @pn2020 

I had a little play with jump_ssh .. thought might come handy at some point .. btw .. thanks for sharing :)

I used Windows 10 as jumpbox .. installed OpenSSH server - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_install_firstuse

Simple to code I used to run show ver on remote host.

#!/usr/bin/env python

from jumpssh import SSHSession
from getpass import getpass

jumpbox = '172.16.100.13'
rhost = 'sbx-iosxr-mgmt.cisco.com'
juser = input("Jumpbox username: ")
jpass = getpass("Jumpbox password: ")

try:
    jump_session = SSHSession(jumpbox, username=juser, password=jpass).open()
    if jump_session.is_active() == True:
        print()
        print("Connected to jumpbox ... {}".format(jumpbox))
        try:
            remote_session = jump_session.get_remote_session(rhost, 
	                                                 username='admin', 
	                                                 port=8181, 
	                                                 password='C1sco12345', 
	                                                 look_for_keys=False,
	                                                 allow_agent=False,)
            if remote_session.is_active():
                print()
                print("Connected to remote host ... {}\n".format(rhost))
                result = remote_session.run_cmd('sh ver')
                print(result.output)
        except Exception as ex:
            print()
            print("Unable to connect to the remote host ... {}".format(rhost))
            print(ex)
            print()
        jump_session.close()
        print()
        print("Jumpbox connection closed.")
        print() 
except Exception as ex:
    print()
    print("Unable to connect to the jumpbox ... {}".format(jumpbox))
    print(ex)
    print()

[pn2020]

Wow, that's awesome, thanks omz for sharing!  I will play more with jumpssh.

[jokey@telstra]

@omz, thanks for sharing ! Solved my problem which uses RHEL linux distro as the jumphost.

I should add, in my case I needed to modify the jump.session sub-method port number from 8181 to 22.