Authenticating Remote Server Hosts
Remote Secure Shell servers are authenticated by a public-key procedure.
The user checks the fingerprint of the remote server's public key. When
the user has approved the public key, it is stored in the user's
$HOME/.ssh2/hostkeys
directory and will be used automatically thereafter.
The verification step requires user interaction, so even for users that
are set up to run client programs unattended (Section
Running Client Programs under MVS), the first connection, and every time the remote host's key is
changed, must be done by a person who logs in as the user, accesses
the remote server, and goes through the fingerprint check
dialog.
For more information on server authentication, see Section
Server Authentication with Public Keys.