Automate a menu presented by a remote SSH jump server

When managing multiple servers, it can be time-consuming and tedious to manually navigate through each one using SSH. Luckily, there is a way to automate this process and make your life easier. In this article, we will guide you through automating a menu presented by a remote SSH jump server.

What is a remote SSH jump server?

A remote SSH jump server, also known as a bastion host or a jump host, is an intermediate server that allows you to securely connect to other servers in your network. It acts as a gateway, providing a secure entry point to access your servers.

Why automate the menu?

Automating the menu presented by a remote SSH jump server can save you time and effort. Instead of manually typing commands to connect to different servers, you can simply select the desired server from a menu and let the automation handle the rest. This is especially useful when you have a large number of servers to manage.

Setting up the automation

To automate the menu, we will be using a combination of SSH configuration and shell scripting. Here's how you can set it up:

Step 1: Configure SSH

First, you need to configure SSH to establish a connection to your remote jump server. Open your SSH configuration file, usually located at /etc/ssh/ssh_config or ~/.ssh/config.

Add the following lines to the configuration file:

Host jumpserver
  HostName jumpserver.example.com
  User your_username
  IdentityFile /path/to/private_key

Host server1
  HostName server1.example.com
  User your_username
  IdentityFile /path/to/private_key
  ProxyJump jumpserver

Host server2
  HostName server2.example.com
  User your_username
  IdentityFile /path/to/private_key
  ProxyJump jumpserver

# Add more servers as needed

Replace jumpserver.example.com with the hostname or IP address of your jump server. Replace server1.example.com and server2.example.com with the hostnames or IP addresses of your target servers. Make sure to specify the correct UserName and IdentityFile for each server.

Step 2: Create the menu script

Next, we will create a shell script that will present a menu for selecting the desired server. Open a text editor and create a new file, for example, menu.sh.

Add the following code to the script:

#!/bin/bash

PS3="Select a server: "

options=("Server 1" "Server 2" "Quit")

select opt in "${options[@]}"
do
    case $opt in
        "Server 1")
            ssh server1
            break
            ;;
        "Server 2")
            ssh server2
            break
            ;;
        "Quit")
            break
            ;;
        *) echo "Invalid option";;
    esac
done

This script presents a menu with options for each server and allows you to connect to the selected server using SSH.

Step 3: Make the script executable

Save the script and make it executable by running the following command in the terminal:

chmod +x menu.sh

Step 4: Test the automation

Now, you can test the automation by running the script in the terminal:

./menu.sh

The script will display the menu, and you can use the arrow keys to select a server. Press Enter to connect to the selected server via SSH.

Automating the menu presented by a remote SSH jump server can greatly simplify the process of managing multiple servers. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up an automated menu that allows you to easily connect to your target servers with just a few clicks.

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