For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://www.jumpserver.com/docs/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://www.jumpserver.com/docs/llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at https://www.jumpserver.com/docs/operations/architecture.md.
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  • v5

    • Architecture

    JumpServer is a distributed privileged access management (PAM) platform. Users connect through a browser or a native client, the connection is terminated by a protocol component, and the core service authorizes the request and stores the session record. This page describes the layers, the components that make up an installation, and the path of a connection.

    Layers

    JumpServer is organized into five layers. Each layer can be scaled independently in a production deployment.

    LayerResponsibilityTypical components
    LoadReceives browser and client traffic, balances it across nodes, terminates TLSHAProxy, built-in Nginx
    AccessAuthenticates users, serves the web UI and API, coordinates connectionsCore, Web
    ProtocolTerminates SSH, RDP, database, VNC, and application sessionsKoKo, Lion, Razor, Magnus, Chen, Nec, Panda, Tinker
    DataStores platform records, sessions, queues, and cachePostgreSQL, Redis
    StoragePersists recordings, logs, and shared filesNFS or object storage, Elasticsearch

    Components

    • Core is the central service. It stores and serves every record, enforces authorization, and is the registration point for all other components. No other component works if Core is unavailable.
    • KoKo handles character protocols such as SSH and Telnet and provides the backend for Web Terminal character sessions.
    • Lion handles graphical protocols and provides browser access to Windows assets.
    • Razor is the RDP proxy used by the JumpServer Client for Windows assets.
    • Magnus is the database proxy used when connecting to database assets.
    • Chen is the web database client for browser-based database sessions.
    • Nec is the VNC proxy, while Panda and Tinker are application publishing hosts for virtual applications.
    • Kael supports AI assets, and Celery executes asynchronous and scheduled automation tasks.
    • Video Worker converts recordings produced by graphical components into MP4 format. It is an enterprise component.
    • JDMC is the host management service. In enterprise installations it runs on the JumpServer host as a systemd service, next to the containers.
    • Web (Nginx) serves the web frontend and proxies API, terminal, and RDP traffic to the other components.

    Connection flow

    1. A user opens the web UI. Nginx serves the frontend and forwards API requests to Core.
    2. Core authenticates the user, resolves the active organization, role, and authorization rules, and returns the assets the user may access.
    3. When the user connects, Core issues a connection token and points the client at the appropriate protocol component.
    4. The protocol component opens the session to the target asset, streams the terminal or desktop to the user, and records the session.
    5. Core stores the session metadata, while the recording is written to local storage or uploaded to the configured object storage.

    Scaling points

    The load and protocol layers are stateless and can run on more than one node. User sessions and queues live in Redis, records live in PostgreSQL, and recordings live in shared storage, so those services determine how far the deployment can scale. See Deployment Topologies for the supported layouts and Network Ports for the ports each component needs.