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Bastionhost:Functions and features

Last Updated:Jul 29, 2024

This topic describes the features supported by Bastionhost Basic Edition and Bastionhost Enterprise Edition and the feature differences between the editions.

Background information

The following section describes the scenarios in which the Basic and Enterprise editions are used and the advantages of different editions:

  • Bastionhost Basic Edition is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises that own 50 to 500 different types of assets and require professional O&M. This edition provides fine-grained O&M capabilities, such as client-based O&M, fine-grained access control and authorization for O&M users, automatic high-risk command blocking, and real-time O&M session monitoring and blocking. Resource Access Management (RAM) users, Active Directory (AD)-authenticated users, and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)-authenticated users can be added to Bastionhost Basic Edition for management. Bastionhost Basic Edition can help small and medium-sized enterprises ensure basic O&M security.

  • Bastionhost Enterprise Edition is suitable for large-sized enterprises and enterprises in sectors that have high requirements for O&M security, such as public service, finance, gaming, online education, and information technology sectors. Bastionhost Enterprise Edition supports the O&M features provided by Bastionhost Basic Edition. Bastionhost Enterprise Edition also provides the following features to meet higher requirements for O&M security. Bastionhost Enterprise Edition provides the following advantages:

    • Database O&M: O&M and authorization management is supported for ApsaraDB RDS instances, and self-managed databases and third-party databases that run MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.

    • Hybrid O&M: centralized O&M is supported in scenarios that involve different types of assets, such as assets in data centers, assets in third-party clouds, and cross-account assets.

    • Higher business stability: Bastionhost Enterprise Edition uses a dual-engine architecture. Both engines are active, which offers a Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 99.95%.

    • Other value-added capabilities: O&M portal-based O&M is supported. Automatic password change is supported for Linux assets, which improves password security.

Bastionhost features

The following table describes the features supported by Bastionhost Basic Edition and Bastionhost Enterprise Edition, and the differences in features between the editions.

Note

In the following table, a cross (红色错) indicates that a feature is not supported. A check (绿色对) indicates that a feature is supported.

Feature

Description

Basic Edition

Enterprise Edition

References

Architecture

Uses a dual-engine and high-availability architecture to ensure stability of business and monitoring operations.

Cloud architecture.

Cloud-based dual-engine architecture.

Benefits

Elastic scaling

You can upgrade bastion host configurations such as the number of assets, storage, and bandwidth.

绿色对

绿色对

Billing

Internationalization

  • Multiple languages are supported. You can switch the language between simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English in real time.

  • You can deploy a bastion host outside China. Mobile phone numbers provided by multiple telecom carriers outside China are supported in two-factor authentication.

绿色对

绿色对

Which countries and regions support the SMS-based two-factor authentication feature of Bastionhost?

User management

Multiple user roles are supported, including administrators, O&M engineers, and auditors.

绿色对

绿色对

Grant management permissions to a RAM user

You can add a single user or import multiple users at a time by using a file.

绿色对

绿色对

Manage users

Users from RAM, AD, and LDAP can be automatically synchronized.

绿色对

绿色对

You can import users from multiple authentication sources as Bastionhost users, such as Identity as a Service (IDaaS) users, DingTalk users, and Microsoft Azure AD users.

红色错

绿色对

You can change the status of user accounts. The states include expired, locked, and inactive.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure the parameters on the User Settings tab

You can configure settings such as account lockout and the password validity period.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure the parameters on the User Settings tab

Asset management

  • You can perform O&M operations on Windows and Linux servers.

  • The following common protocols are supported for O&M: SSH and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

绿色对

绿色对

Client-based O&M

You can perform O&M and audit operations on ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances, ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances, ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instances, and self-managed databases.

红色错

绿色对

You can manually add assets and import Alibaba Cloud and third-party cloud assets with a few clicks.

绿色对

绿色对

The logon information of assets, such as passwords and keys, can be managed on bastion hosts. This way, O&M engineers can access and perform O&M operations on assets without entering the asset passwords.

绿色对

绿色对

You can check the status of Elastic Compute Service (ECS) and ApsaraDB RDS instances and the network connectivity of assets. You can configure regular checking or manually check the status.

绿色对

绿色对

Manage hosts

Security Center can be used to monitor asset risks and notify you of the status and number of risks, including alerts, vulnerabilities, and baseline risks. You can quickly go to Security Center to handle the risks.

绿色对

绿色对

Manage hosts

You can perform centralized O&M operations on different types of assets. For example, you can manage assets in third-party clouds, assets on Alibaba Cloud, and assets in on-premises data centers in a centralized manner.

绿色对

绿色对

Best practices of hybrid O&M

Network domain proxies are supported. A bastion host can use proxy servers to connect to assets over the internal network.

红色错

绿色对

Use the network domain feature

You can manually or periodically change the passwords of Linux servers.

红色错

绿色对

Use the automatic password change feature

Two-factor authentication can be performed based on text messages, emails, Time-Based One-Time Passwords (TOTPs), and DingTalk.

绿色对

绿色对

Enable two-factor authentication

Client tools such as Microsoft Terminal Services Client (MSTSC), Xshell, SecureCRT, and PuTTY can be used to log on to bastion hosts and access hosts.

绿色对

绿色对

Database O&M tools and versions

WinSCP, Xftp, SecureFX, and other Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client tools on your computer can be used to log on to bastion hosts for file transfer.

绿色对

绿色对

Perform SFTP-based O&M

An independent O&M portal is provided.

绿色对

绿色对

O&M portal-based O&M

You can access hosts from a web browser.

红色错

绿色对

Use the host O&M feature

O&M sessions can be monitored in real time and can be interrupted at any time.

绿色对

绿色对

You can control operations during RDP-based O&M, such as uploading or downloading files from the clipboard and disk mapping.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure a control policy

During SSH-based O&M, you can configure whitelists or blacklists to control commands and configure command approval policies. This helps you control the execution of high-risk and sensitive commands.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure a control policy

This feature controls the following operations when you perform O&M operations: uploading, downloading, deleting, and renaming files and creating and deleting folders.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure a control policy

The O&M applicant review feature is supported. After the feature is enabled, an O&M engineer can log on to the assets only after the Bastionhost administrator approves the O&M application submitted by the O&M engineer.

绿色对

绿色对

Review an O&M application

You can configure the users, source IP addresses, and time periods that are approved for logging on to a bastion host.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure the parameters on the User Settings tab

You can configure the maximum duration of an idle O&M session and the maximum total duration of O&M sessions.

绿色对

绿色对

Configure the parameters on the User Settings tab

O&M audit

You can audit all O&M operations based on logs and videos. Video playback of O&M operations is supported.

绿色对

绿色对

Search for sessions and view session details

This feature allows you to audit the file transfer.

绿色对

绿色对

O&M reports can be generated. You can export reports in PDF, HTML, and Word formats.

绿色对

绿色对

View the O&M information on the O&M Reports page and export an O&M report

Audit logs of O&M sessions can be transferred to Simple Log Service and downloaded to your computer by using the log backup feature.

绿色对

绿色对

API operations

This feature allows you to call API operations.

绿色对

绿色对

List of operations by function