SSH & Connectivity Management
Relevant source files
The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:
Introduction
SSH & Connectivity Management serves as the foundational "Connectivity Layer" of the Nexus Orchestrator, functioning as an autonomous infrastructure daemon. Its primary purpose is to bridge the infrastructure gap between AI agents and their target operating environments by managing secure sessions and protocol-based communication.
This system leverages the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to provide a standardized interface for agents to interact with remote environments. By integrating Zero Trust security principles and Open Policy Agent (OPA) governance, the connectivity module ensures that non-human identities (AI agents) can only access authorized resources through secure, encrypted channels.
Sources: README.md:1-15
Architectural Overview
The connectivity architecture is designed as a local-first background orchestration layer. It manages the lifecycle of SSH connections and facilitates agent-infrastructure communication through a structured protocol.
Connectivity Layer Components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| MCP Protocol | Standardized communication interface for AI agents. |
| SSH Manager | Orchestrates secure remote shell sessions and environment setup. |
| Zero Trust Gateway | Enforces identity-based access control for agents. |
| Context Tracker | Maintains persistent state of active connections and agent trust levels. |
Sources: README.md:10-18, context/AGENTS.md:1-10
Connection Lifecycle Flow
The following diagram illustrates how an AI agent establishes a secure connection through the Nexus Orchestrator to a target environment.
The diagram shows the transition from agent request through governance checks to actual environmental interaction.
Sources: README.md:8-15, context/AGENTS.md:5-10
SSH Session Management
The SSH Manager is responsible for the low-level orchestration of remote access. It handles the authentication of non-human identities and ensures that environments are prepared for agent tasks.
Infrastructure Orchestration logic
- Identity Verification: Checking the
Agent IDandTrust Levelagainst the registry. - Session Establishment: Creating secure tunnels to remote nodes.
- Environment Sync: Managing local-first context files and background daemons.
Sources: README.md:4-7, context/AGENTS.md:1-10
Security and Governance
Connectivity is governed by a "Zero Trust" model. Unlike traditional SSH management which may rely on static keys, Nexus Orchestrator utilizes OPA (Open Policy Agent) to evaluate access requests in real-time based on the agent's profile.
Agent Trust Registry
The system tracks connectivity permissions via a central registry, which defines the scope of operations an agent can perform over SSH.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Agent ID | Unique identifier for the AI agent seeking connectivity. |
| Description | The functional role or purpose of the agent. |
| Trust Level | The level of authorization (e.g., Low, Medium, High) determining access depth. |
Sources: context/AGENTS.md:7-11, README.md:13-14
Request Validation Sequence
This sequence ensures that no connection is established without explicit policy validation.
Sources: README.md:13-14, context/AGENTS.md:5-10
Protocol Synthesis
A key feature of the connectivity management system is the synthesis of multiple protocols. It functions as a "nervous system" that merges:
- MCP (Model Context Protocol): For agent-to-orchestrator signaling.
- SSH: For orchestrator-to-infrastructure execution.
- LangGraph: For managing the stateful workflow of these connections.
Sources: README.md:5-9
Conclusion
SSH & Connectivity Management in Nexus Orchestrator provides a secure, autonomous bridge between AI agents and technical infrastructure. By combining MCP-based communication with OPA-governed SSH sessions, it ensures that infrastructure orchestration remains local-first, secure, and highly manageable for autonomous workflows.