diff --git a/protocols/netconf/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/NetconfDeviceInfo.java b/protocols/netconf/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/NetconfDeviceInfo.java
index 4c900ea..2468562 100644
--- a/protocols/netconf/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/NetconfDeviceInfo.java
+++ b/protocols/netconf/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/NetconfDeviceInfo.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
-import java.io.File;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.Objects;
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@
     private String password;
     private IpAddress ipAddress;
     private int port;
-    private File keyFile;
+    private char[] key;
     private DeviceId deviceId;
 
 
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@
         this.password = password;
         this.ipAddress = ipAddress;
         this.port = port;
-        this.keyFile = new File(keyString);
+        this.key = keyString.toCharArray();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -120,12 +119,12 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Exposes the keyFile of the controller.
+     * Exposes the key of the controller.
      *
      * @return int port address
      */
-    public File getKeyFile() {
-        return keyFile;
+    public char[] getKey() {
+        return key;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfControllerImpl.java b/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfControllerImpl.java
index 00178bc..afe791c 100644
--- a/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfControllerImpl.java
+++ b/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfControllerImpl.java
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
 import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
 import org.onosproject.cfg.ComponentConfigService;
+import org.onosproject.net.AnnotationKeys;
 import org.onosproject.net.Device;
 import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceService;
+import org.onosproject.net.key.DeviceKey;
 import org.onosproject.net.key.DeviceKeyId;
 import org.onosproject.net.key.DeviceKeyService;
 import org.onosproject.net.key.UsernamePassword;
@@ -201,15 +203,31 @@
                 }
             }
             try {
-                UsernamePassword deviceKey = deviceKeyService.getDeviceKey(
-                        DeviceKeyId.deviceKeyId(deviceId.toString())).asUsernamePassword();
+                DeviceKey deviceKey = deviceKeyService.getDeviceKey(
+                                DeviceKeyId.deviceKeyId(deviceId.toString()));
+                NetconfDeviceInfo deviceInfo = null;
+                if (deviceKey.type() == DeviceKey.Type.USERNAME_PASSWORD) {
+                    UsernamePassword usernamepasswd = deviceKey.asUsernamePassword();
 
-                NetconfDeviceInfo deviceInfo = new NetconfDeviceInfo(deviceKey.username(),
-                                                                     deviceKey.password(),
-                                                                     IpAddress.valueOf(ip),
-                                                                     port);
+                    deviceInfo = new NetconfDeviceInfo(usernamepasswd.username(),
+                            usernamepasswd.password(),
+                            IpAddress.valueOf(ip),
+                            port);
+
+                } else if (deviceKey.type() == DeviceKey.Type.SSL_KEY) {
+                    String username = deviceKey.annotations().value(AnnotationKeys.USERNAME);
+                    String password = deviceKey.annotations().value(AnnotationKeys.PASSWORD);
+                    String sshkey =   deviceKey.annotations().value(AnnotationKeys.SSHKEY);
+
+                    deviceInfo = new NetconfDeviceInfo(username,
+                            password,
+                            IpAddress.valueOf(ip),
+                            port,
+                            sshkey);
+                } else {
+                    log.error("Unknown device key for device {}", deviceId);
+                }
                 NetconfDevice netconfDevicedevice = createDevice(deviceInfo);
-
                 netconfDevicedevice.getSession().addDeviceOutputListener(downListener);
                 return netconfDevicedevice;
             } catch (NullPointerException e) {
diff --git a/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfSessionImpl.java b/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfSessionImpl.java
index 59cc125..451a2a1 100644
--- a/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfSessionImpl.java
+++ b/protocols/netconf/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/netconf/ctl/NetconfSessionImpl.java
@@ -118,12 +118,14 @@
             }
             boolean isAuthenticated;
             try {
-                if (deviceInfo.getKeyFile() != null) {
+                if (deviceInfo.getKey() != null) {
+                    log.debug("Authenticating with key to device {} with username {}",
+                            deviceInfo.getDeviceId(), deviceInfo.name());
                     isAuthenticated = netconfConnection.authenticateWithPublicKey(
-                            deviceInfo.name(), deviceInfo.getKeyFile(),
-                            deviceInfo.password());
+                            deviceInfo.name(), deviceInfo.getKey(),
+                            deviceInfo.password().equals("") ? null : deviceInfo.password());
                 } else {
-                    log.debug("Authenticating to device {} with username {}",
+                    log.debug("Authenticating to device {} with username {} with password",
                               deviceInfo.getDeviceId(), deviceInfo.name());
                     isAuthenticated = netconfConnection.authenticateWithPassword(
                             deviceInfo.name(), deviceInfo.password());