The first thing that needs to be done before anything else is to create your .planetlab directory. This directory contains your RSA key pair and X509 certificate for authentication along with important files related to your slices (e.g., tickets, leases, etc.). This directory is automatically set up for you using the plkeygen command as shown below. This command will create your .planetlab directory, populate it, and send an X509 certificate request to the PlanetLab CA for approval. Use your email/passwd from your PlanetLab web account when prompted for this information. Currently, only users with principle investigator privileges are allowed to create, delete, and manage dynamic slices on PlanetLab. This will be changing in the near future.
# plkeygen email: llp@cs.princeton.edu password: ****** Certificate request sent to bnc@intel-research.net. Do a 'plkeygen --refresh' once you receive a reply. |
At this point, the PlanetLab CA will receive an email containing your certificate request. Upon inspecting it and verifying its contents, an X509 certificate will be created and an email will be sent back to you confirming the availability of your new X509 certificate.
Once you receive an email confirming the availability of your X509 certificate, your certificate can then be downloaded as shown below. The plkeygen command will retrieve your certificate and save it in the appropriate place in your .planetlab directory.
# plkeygen --refresh email: llp@cs.princeton.edu Certificate downloaded. |