SSH access management
Give teams a controlled path to SSH servers.
Shortspan turns an SSH server into a project resource with an alias, connection metadata, credential policy, and access history. Developers use the native terminal workflow while administrators keep the target and its permissions centrally managed.
Why teams change
Server access should not depend on tribal knowledge.
Hostnames in a wiki, private keys in a shared folder, and production usernames remembered by one operator make access both fragile and difficult to review. Removing a teammate often becomes a manual hunt through servers and documents.
Shortspan lets an administrator register the connection once, including host verification details and the credential material needed by the broker. Authorized users connect by a stable alias through the CLI, so the daily workflow stays close to ordinary SSH without distributing the setup through informal channels.
What Shortspan adds
Control around the workflow, not another workflow beside it.
Connection by alias
Use a memorable project name such as prod-web instead of looking up hosts, ports, usernames, and bastion details for every session.
Host verification policy
Store and review SSH host-key posture so the connection workflow can detect when server identity does not match the registered target.
Requested and temporary access
Let developers request a defined resource with a reason, then approve, deny, and expire the resulting grant according to team policy.
The workflow
From registered resource to accountable use.
- 01
Register the server
Create the SSH target inside the correct workspace project and capture the connection and verification details.
- 02
Authorize the developer
Use role permissions or an approved temporary request rather than sending a key or password directly.
- 03
Connect from the terminal
Run the Shortspan SSH command with the target alias and keep the sensitive access event attributable.
Operational outcomes
Make the secure path the understandable path.
- One source for server aliases and connection metadata
- Less SSH credential material distributed across the team
- Temporary access that can expire without relying on memory
- Host identity checks and access history in the same workflow
Common questions
Know where the boundary is.
- Does Shortspan replace the SSH client?
- Shortspan brokers and configures the authorized connection workflow from its CLI. The resulting session still uses the SSH tooling available on the user system.
- Can an SSH target use a bastion?
- Shortspan supports infrastructure profiles and connection relationships used for operational access, including database connections routed through a configured SSH bastion.
- Are all SSH credentials dynamically generated?
- No. Shortspan can broker use of registered credentials and temporary Shortspan access grants, but the lifetime and rotation behavior of an underlying server credential depends on the source system and target configuration.
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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