Secure Shell (SSH) connector methods

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
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    Summary of Secure Shell (SSH) connector methods

    The Secure Shell (SSH) connector methods facilitate establishing SSH connections, executing commands remotely, and safely disconnecting the session. This functionality is essential for managing remote servers securely and efficiently.

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    Key Features

    • Connect: Initiates an SSH connection by providing the necessary details, including hostname, username, and password. You can select from various authentication types: Password (default), KeyboardInteractive, and KeyFileAuthentication.
    • RunCommand: Enables the execution of commands on the remote server once the SSH connection is established. Commands can include shell commands or scripts that the server understands.
    • Disconnect: Ends the established SSH connection after command execution, ensuring that resources are released and security is maintained.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing these SSH connector methods, customers can:

    • Securely connect to remote machines and execute necessary commands.
    • Choose appropriate authentication types based on their security requirements.
    • Manage remote sessions effectively, ensuring that connections are properly established and terminated.

    The Secure Shell (SSH) connector methods establish an SSH connection, execute commands over the established connection, and disconnect the session.

    Connect

    Establishes an SSH connection. Provide the information required to connect to a remote machine.

    Select the settings icon (Settings icon) to choose the authentication type.

    Supported authentication types are Password, KeyboardInteractive, and KeyFileAuthentication.The authentication type configuration window displaying the Password, KeyboardInteractive, and KeyFileAuthentication as authentication types.

    Password is the default authentication type.

    Table 1. Connect method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port Type Data type
    HostName Host name of the remote server or IP address. Data In String
    Username User name of the SSH account. Data In String
    Password

    Secure string representation of the password. Password of the SSH account.

    You can use the SecureStringEncode component to encode the secure string password as mentioned in the following example. For more information, see Use the SecureStringEncode component.
    Figure 1. Connect method with Password parameter
    SecureStringEncode component is connected to the Connect method to pass the encoded password.

    After you perform this task, you can connect to the remote server.

    		 Data In SecureString
    Port Optional. The port number for the SSH connection. Default value is 22. Data In Integer
    CreateShell Optional. If True, a shell stream is created on successful connection. Any command that is executing on this connection uses the shell.

    If False, any command that is executing on this connection does not the shell.

    Default value is True.

    		 Data In Boolean
    KeyboardInteractiveAuth Password as a challenge.

    If True, the server prompts the client for password to verify the user's identity. Value provided in the password parameter is shared as a response from client.

    This parameter appears only when KeyboardInteractive is selected from the Authentication Type.

    		 Data In Boolean
    KeyFilepath Path of the private key.

    This parameter appears only when KeyFileAuthentication is selected from the Authentication Type.

    		 Data In String
    Passphrase Optional. If private key is encrypted using Passphrase, same value is provided inside the Passphrase parameter to use the private key.

    This parameter appears only when KeyFileAuthentication is selected from the Authentication Type.

    		 Data In String

    RunCommand

    After establishing an SSH connection, execute commands over the established connection using the RunCommand method.

    Table 2. RunCommand method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port Type Data type
    Command Commands that must be executed on the remote SSH server, such as messages or scripts, can be valid shell commands or executable commands that the remote server can understand.

    For example, echo hello.

    Figure 2. RunCommand method - Command parameter
    Command entered as "echo hello" in the Command parameter RunCommand method
    		Data In String
    Timeout Optional. The parameter that specifies the maximum time (in seconds) to wait for the command's output from the SSH server when using an interactive shell.

    Default value is 30.

    		 Data In Integer
    Return The result of the executed command.

    For example, after executing the automation, in the Data Preview of Return parameter, "hello" is displayed.

    Figure 3. Return parameter of RunCommand method
    Data previews as hello, after the command is executed
    		Data Out String

    Disconnect

    After executing commands, disconnect the established connection using the Disconnect method.

    The following example shows the entire automation after adding the Disconnect method.

    Figure 4. Disconnect method
    SSH connector automation workflow example.