CCS Key Management

SSH public keys for University of Kentucky HPC clusters and API keys for the CCS AI Inference Gateway, in one place.

About This System

CCS Key Management (Locksmith) lets authorized users upload and manage the SSH public keys that grant access to HPC clusters and computing resources operated by the Center for Computational Sciences (CCS) at the University of Kentucky. It is also where users who have been approved for the CCS AI Inference Gateway create the API key they use at llm.ccs.uky.edu.

Authentication is handled through CILogon, a federated identity service. You will log in using your existing institutional credentials - no separate account is required.

Supported Identity Providers

  • University of Kentucky (UKY) - All UKY-affiliated users must use this provider
  • ACCESS-CI - Required for all ACCESS users accessing KyRIC resources
  • Other Institutions - Any institutional Identity Provider available through CILogon can be used. Google, GitHub and ORCID logins are blocked

If your institution is not listed, you may register with ACCESS-CI Identity and use ACCESS as your provider.

What You Can Do

Logging in once with your institutional credentials creates your account. From then on this site manages two separate things for you; use either without the other.

SSH keys for the HPC clusters

  • Upload SSH Key - Submit your SSH public key (ssh-ed25519 recommended, ssh-rsa 3072 bits or more), or let this site generate a key pair for you in your browser
  • Manage Keys - View, replace, or delete your registered SSH public keys (up to two)
  • Then open a ticket at the service desk so an administrator copies the key to your cluster account. Step by step: SSH Key Help.

API keys for the CCS AI Inference Gateway

The CCS AI Inference Gateway is an API for running AI models from your own code (not a chat website). Access is granted on request:

  1. Log in here once so your account exists. SSH keys are not needed for this.
  2. Ask CCS to enable AI inference access through the service desk. Models hosted outside the university are reached through a funded project with a PI; CCS sets that up.
  3. Generate your key on the AI Inference Keys page and use it at llm.ccs.uky.edu. Models, examples and error explanations are in the AI Inference Help.

Your account

  • Update Contact Info - Maintain your secondary email address

Sign in

One login covers both: SSH keys for the HPC clusters and API keys for the CCS AI Inference Gateway. You do not need one to use the other.

Log in or Register with CILogon

You will be redirected to CILogon to select your Identity Provider and enter your credentials.

Security and Privacy Notice

This is a University of Kentucky information system. By using this system, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

  • This system is for authorized use only. Unauthorized access or use is prohibited and may be subject to criminal and civil penalties.
  • Only upload your public SSH keys. Never share or upload private keys.
  • Your personal information is handled in accordance with the University of Kentucky policies.
  • For questions about data handling, refer to the UK IT Security Policies and Guidelines.

Need Help?

For assistance with SSH key generation, portal access, or account issues, create a support ticket through the HPC User Support Request portal.

For step-by-step instructions on generating SSH keys and using this system, see the SSH public keys guide on the CCS Knowledge Base, or the help pages on this site: SSH Key Help and AI Inference Help.