Introduction to Boundary Community Edition

Managing access to servers, databases, and cloud resources typically means distributing long-lived SSH keys or VPN credentials — creating audit gaps and over-privileged access. Boundary solves this with identity-based, session-level access controls that grant users just enough access to a specific target, for just enough time, without exposing private networks.

Boundary enables simple and secure access to dynamic infrastructure by:

• Identity-based access controls: Streamline just-in-time access to privileged sessions (e.g. TCP, SSH, RDP) for users and applications. Tightly control access permissions with extensible role-based access controls.

• Access Automation: Define your perimeter of resources, identities, and access controls as code through Boundary's fully-instrumented Terraform Provider, REST API, CLI, and SDK. Automate the discovery of new resources and enforcement of existing policies as resources are provisioned.

• Session Visibility: Security administrators gain visibility into users accessing monitored targets. If necessary, the administrators can terminate the sessions from the Admin UI.

Traditional approaches like SSH bastion hosts or VPNs that require distributing and managing credentials, configure network controls like firewalls, and expose the private network. Boundary provides a secure way to access hosts and critical systems without having to manage credentials or expose your network.

Refer to the Boundary documentation page to learn more about fundamental Boundary concepts.

The Boundary getting started tutorials will walk you through your first Boundary project, highlighting the major features of Boundary.