Shared key processing by a host to secure links

A computer system for facilitating processing in a computing environment, the computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising:
• performing authentication on a plurality of links to be used to couple one node of the computing environment and another node of the computing environment, the performing authentication including:
• requesting by the one node generation of a shared key by a key server coupled to the one node of the computing environment;
• obtaining by the one node the shared key and an identifier of the shared key from the key server;
• sending the identifier of the shared key from the one node to the other node;
• sending an encrypted message from the one node to the other node via one link of the plurality of links, the encrypted message encrypted with the shared key;
• receiving by the one node via the one link an indication that the other node decrypted the encrypted message using the shared key obtained by the other node;
• and
• repeating the sending the encrypted message and the receiving the indication that the other node decrypted the encrypted message on one or more other links of the plurality of links using the shared key previously obtained.

A computer-implemented method of facilitating processing in a computing environment, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• performing authentication on a plurality of links to be used to couple one node of the computing environment and another node of the computing environment, the performing authentication including:
• requesting by the one node generation of a shared key by a key server coupled to the one node of the computing environment;
• obtaining by the one node the shared key and an identifier of the shared key from the key server;
• sending the identifier of the shared key from the one node to the other node;
• sending an encrypted message from the one node to the other node via one link of the plurality of links, the encrypted message encrypted with the shared key;
• receiving by the one node via the one link an indication that the other node decrypted the encrypted message using the shared key obtained by the other node;
• and
• repeating the sending the encrypted message and the receiving the indication that the other node decrypted the encrypted message on one or more other links of the plurality of links using the shared key previously obtained.