diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/dsh/Context/XCAT.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/dsh/Context/XCAT.pm
index 0b9fd7455..58a02e341 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/dsh/Context/XCAT.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/dsh/Context/XCAT.pm
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use Socket;
 use xCAT::Utils;
 use xCAT::MsgUtils;
 use base xCAT::DSHContext;
+
 # Define remote shell globals from xCAT
 
 our $XCAT_RSH_CMD;
@@ -287,8 +288,10 @@ sub resolve_node
         get_xcat_remote_cmds
 
         Using xCAT native commands, store the remote command settings for
-        the remote shell and remote copy commands as defined in xCAT 
-		site.tab file.
+        the remote shell and remote copy commands determined from the
+		site.tab file useSSHonAIX attribute. If the attribute is set to yes or 1
+		then we will setup and use ssh on AIX,  otherwise we use rsh. On Linux,
+		we always setup and use ssh.
 
         Arguments:
         	None
@@ -314,17 +317,22 @@ sub resolve_node
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub get_xcat_remote_cmds
 {
-    $XCAT_RSH_CMD = "/usr/bin/ssh";    # default
-    $XCAT_RCP_CMD = "/usr/bin/scp";    #default
-    my @remote_shell = xCAT::Utils->get_site_attribute("rsh");
-    if ($remote_shell[0])
+    if (xCAT::Utils::isLinux)
     {
-        $XCAT_RSH_CMD = $remote_shell[0];
+        $XCAT_RSH_CMD = "/usr/bin/ssh";    # default
+        $XCAT_RCP_CMD = "/usr/bin/scp";    #default
     }
-    my @remote_copy = xCAT::Utils->get_site_attribute("rcp");
-    if ($remote_copy[0])
-    {
-        $XCAT_RCP_CMD = $remote_copy[0];
+    else
+    {                                      # AIX
+        $XCAT_RSH_CMD = "/bin/rsh";        # default
+        $XCAT_RCP_CMD = "/bin/rcp";        #default
+        my @usesshonaix = xCAT::Utils->get_site_attribute("useSSHonAIX");
+        $usesshonaix[0] =~ tr/a-z/A-Z/;    # convert to upper
+        if (($usesshonaix[0] eq "1") || ($usesshonaix[0] eq "YES"))
+        {                                  # use ssh/scp
+            $XCAT_RSH_CMD = "/bin/ssh";    # default
+            $XCAT_RCP_CMD = "/bin/scp";    #default
+        }
     }
 
 }