Creating and organizing hosts
Open the Hosts activity in the sidebar to see your inventory tree. The toolbar gives you search, sort, New Host, New Folder, import, and collapse actions. You can add a host directly, nest hosts in folders that mirror your sites or customers, and search by hostname, address, or tag. Right-click a host for the fast path: connect over SSH, open it, open it to the side, edit it, detect the device with AI, pin it, or delete it. Use Open to the Side when you want the host editor beside a terminal, procedure, artifact, or comparison target.Add your first host
Open Hosts and choose New Host
The host editor opens in the main canvas. Give the host a name first; this is the label people will search for later.
Enter the address
Fill in the hostname or IP. Use the stable management address, not an address you only learned during an incident.
Add at least one protocol
Choose SSH, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, RDP, VNC, Video Stream, or Custom. Set the label, port, address override if needed, and any protocol-specific fields.
Attach a Keychain credential
Studio does not store credentials inline on the host. Pick an existing Keychain entry or create one from the credential control.
Choose the preferred protocol
The preferred protocol is what Studio uses for a quick open or double-click. Pick the safest everyday entry point.
- Add a host from the Hosts activity, inline from a diagram, or from inside a terminal when Copilot suggests one.
- Organize into folders — region, customer, site, lab, device role, on-call ownership.
- Search by hostname, address, tag, or vendor.
- Import from a list — existing session exports or a CSV paste.
- Right-click for quick actions without opening the full editor.
Protocols
A host can carry any combination of the protocols below. Each one has its own settings, and you mark one as the preferred protocol so a quick open or double-click uses it.| Protocol | Typical use | What you configure |
|---|---|---|
| SSH | Network device CLI, Linux shells. | Address, port, username, credential reference, optional jump host, optional key path. |
| Telnet | Older equipment that doesn’t speak SSH. | Address, port, username, credential reference. |
| HTTP / HTTPS | Device web management UIs. | URL, optional credential reference for basic auth. |
| RDP | Windows desktop access. | Address, port, username, credential reference, NLA/CredSSP options. |
| VNC | Remote framebuffer access. | Address, port, credential reference. |
| Video stream | RTSP or ONVIF camera. | Stream URL or ONVIF endpoint, credential reference, profile. |
| Custom | Anything you need to track that does not fit a built-in protocol. | Label, address, port, and any connection details your team needs. |
Protocol labels and overrides
Use protocol labels to make intent obvious:SSH, OOB SSH, HTTPS GUI, RDP jump, Camera stream, Vendor portal. If one protocol reaches a different address than the host’s primary address, set an address override on that protocol instead of creating a second host.
Custom protocols are useful for things you need to document even when Studio does not open them directly: a vendor console, a support portal, a maintenance URL, or a local-only jump path.
Jump hosts
For devices you can only reach through a bastion, set a jump host by name on the SSH protocol. Studio inherits the jump host’s SSH session and chains to the target — you don’t duplicate credentials on the inner host, you just point at the bastion and let its configuration do the work. Use a jump host when the network path matters as much as the target. It makes the access pattern visible to your team and gives Copilot the right context when it plans diagnostics or explains why a device is reachable from one place and not another.Device identity
Studio fingerprints each device automatically. On first connect it reads the banner and runs a small set of read-only probes to infer vendor, OS, and software version. The identity shows up in the status bar and feeds Copilot’s command hints, parsers, and diagnostic suggestions. You can override any field manually when the auto-detection gets it wrong or when you want to label a host a specific way. You can also run device detection from the host context menu. Use that when you imported inventory from a flat list and want Studio to fill in vendor or OS details before anyone connects during a change window.Keychain
Keychain is the credential store behind every host. You put secrets there once, then reference them everywhere they’re needed.What it stores
| Type | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Username & password | Classic login pairs for CLI, web UI, and RDP. |
| SSH key | Pasted key material or a path to a key file, with optional passphrase. |
| Token or secret | API tokens, bearer tokens, shared secrets for connectors or webhooks. |
Referencing a Keychain entry
In the host editor, each protocol has a credential dropdown. Pick an existing Keychain entry and the host uses it for authentication. You can set the same reference on a folder to apply it to every host inside — useful when a site or customer shares one set of credentials. The credential field is intentionally required for protocols that authenticate. A host with a missing credential can still be organized and edited, but it cannot connect until a Keychain entry is attached.Rotating a credential
Edit the Keychain entry once. Every host that references it picks up the new value on the next connect. You don’t hunt through the inventory touching individual rows.Visibility
Hosts can be private (yours alone) or team (shared with your organization). Team hosts sync across everyone in the org and show up for new members when they join. Credentials are encrypted before they leave your machine regardless of visibility. See teams and organizations for how sharing, roles, and invites work.Related
Terminal
Connect, use clickable network objects, stage commands, and replay sessions.
Security and privacy
How credentials are protected, what syncs, and what stays on your machine.