Kubernetes access management
Put cluster access behind the same controls as the rest of your stack.
Shortspan treats a Kubernetes cluster as a project resource rather than an isolated kubeconfig file. Teams can register cluster access centrally, authorize people through workspace and project controls, and use the selected context from the CLI.
Why teams change
A kubeconfig is powerful, portable, and easy to forget.
Cluster credentials copied between laptops can outlast a project assignment and make offboarding dependent on manual cleanup. Multiple clusters also create naming and context mistakes that are difficult to diagnose under pressure.
Shortspan gives each registered cluster a stable project context and controlled access path. The CLI helps the developer select the intended target while the console remains the place to manage membership, grants, and the resource inventory.
What Shortspan adds
Control around the workflow, not another workflow beside it.
Cluster catalog
Keep development, staging, and production clusters discoverable by alias inside the projects that own them.
Controlled CLI context
Activate or use the registered Kubernetes context through an authorized command-line workflow rather than distributing setup instructions person by person.
Unified access review
Review cluster access alongside AWS, SSH, database, secret, and runbook activity instead of stitching together separate team lists.
The workflow
From registered resource to accountable use.
- 01
Register the cluster
Add its access material, alias, project, and environment context to the infrastructure catalog.
- 02
Approve the right people
Use existing workspace roles or a temporary request for access that should expire.
- 03
Use the intended context
Select the target through the CLI and continue with the native Kubernetes tooling your team already uses.
Operational outcomes
Make the secure path the understandable path.
- Less kubeconfig material shared through informal channels
- Clear cluster names tied to projects and environments
- Temporary access for production or incident work
- One review surface across infrastructure categories
Common questions
Know where the boundary is.
- Does Shortspan replace Kubernetes RBAC?
- No. Kubernetes RBAC still determines what the underlying cluster identity may do. Shortspan governs access to the registered context and records the brokered workflow.
- Can access be temporary?
- A Shortspan access grant can expire. That expiry removes the ability to use the resource through Shortspan; the underlying cluster credential lifecycle remains governed by its source configuration.
- Do developers keep using kubectl?
- Yes. The Shortspan workflow supplies or activates the approved cluster context, while native Kubernetes tooling performs the cluster operations.
Read the implementation details
Documentation for this workflow
Related solutions
Connect the next part of the workflow
Start with one project and one access problem.
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