Host Management

Overview

Hosts are the Linux servers that you want to scan for CIS compliance and/or harden. Each host requires SSH access for the platform to connect and perform operations.

Navigation

Menu: Infrastructure > Hosts

Page Layout

Host List

The host list displays all registered servers with the following columns:

Sorting and Pagination

• Click column headers to sort
• Use pagination controls at bottom to navigate
• Adjust page size (20, 50, 100, 200 items per page)

Toolbar Buttons

Adding a Host

1. Click Add Host button
2. Fill in the form:
   • Hostname: Server name (e.g., web-server-01)
   • IP Address: Server IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
   • SSH Port: Default is 22
   • SSH User: Username for connection (e.g., root or admin)
   • SSH Credential: Select from existing credentials
3. Click Create

The OS will be automatically detected after the host is added.

Editing a Host

1. Click the … (more) dropdown menu on the host row
2. Select Edit
3. Modify the fields as needed
4. Click Update

Deleting a Host

1. Click the … (more) dropdown menu on the host row
2. Select Delete
3. Confirm deletion in the dialog

Warning: Deleting a host also removes all associated scan results and job history.

Host Actions

Primary Action: Harden

Click the Harden button on any host row to start hardening:

1. Select a hardening profile:
   • CIS Profiles:
     • CIS Level 1 - Server
     • CIS Level 2 - Server
     • CIS Level 1 - Workstation
     • CIS Level 2 - Workstation
   • STIG Profiles:
     • STIG Server
     • STIG Workstation
2. Select priority (Lowest, Low, Normal, High, Critical)
3. Click Start Hardening

Dropdown Menu Actions

Click … to access additional actions:

Check All Status

Click Check All Status in the toolbar to verify connectivity to all hosts at once.

Bulk Operations

Select multiple hosts using checkboxes, then use bulk action buttons:

Bulk Scan

Run compliance scans on selected hosts:

1. Select hosts using checkboxes
2. Click Bulk Scan (N) button
3. Select a SCAP profile from the dropdown
4. Click Start Scans

Progress bar shows scan creation progress.

Bulk Harden

Apply hardening to selected hosts:

1. Select hosts using checkboxes
2. Click Bulk Harden (N) button
3. Review selected hosts in the modal
4. Select hardening profile (CIS or STIG)
5. Select priority
6. Click Start Hardening All

Bulk Delete

Delete multiple hosts:

1. Select hosts using checkboxes
2. Click Bulk Delete (N) button
3. Confirm deletion in the dialog

Credentials Management

Click Manage Credentials button to open the credentials modal.

Viewing Existing Credentials

The modal displays a table of existing credentials with:

• Name
• Type (password or ssh_key)
• Delete action

Creating a Credential

1. Fill in the form at the bottom:
   • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., production-key)
   • Type: Password or SSH Key
   • Password or Private Key: Authentication data
2. Click Create

Deleting a Credential

1. Click Delete button on the credential row
2. Confirm deletion

Note: Credentials used by hosts cannot be deleted until removed from those hosts.

Status Indicators

Auto-Refresh

Host status is automatically refreshed every 30 seconds.

Supported Operating Systems

Hardening Profiles

CIS Benchmarks

STIG Profiles

Troubleshooting

Host Shows Offline

1. Verify the IP address is correct
2. Check SSH port (default 22)
3. Verify credential is valid and not expired
4. Check network connectivity and firewalls
5. Try Check action to refresh status

OS Not Detected

1. Ensure host is online first
2. Click … > Detect OS to re-run detection
3. Check that /etc/os-release exists on the target
4. Verify SSH user has read permissions

Hardening Fails

1. Check the Jobs page for error details and Ansible output
2. Verify the host is online
3. Ensure SSH user has sudo privileges (or is root)
4. Check for conflicting services or configurations

Cannot Create Host

1. Verify IP address format is valid
2. Ensure hostname is unique
3. Select a valid credential
4. Check for required fields

Best Practices

1. Use descriptive hostnames for easy identification
2. Use SSH keys instead of passwords for better security
3. Test connectivity (Check) before running hardening
4. Start with CIS Level 1 before applying Level 2
5. Run compliance scan before and after hardening to measure improvement
6. Group operations - Use bulk actions for efficiency

Related Pages

• Compliance Scanning - Run compliance scans
• Jobs - View job status and Ansible output
• Hardening - Detailed hardening information
• Credentials - Detailed credential management