SSH Nexus

Advanced SSH automation hub with intelligent connection management and network device support. Built with ❤️ by Sarryaz
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Overview

This node enables automated SSH interactions with network devices to perform various operations, including backing up device configurations. Specifically, the 💾 Backup Configuration operation connects to a network device via SSH and retrieves its configuration for backup purposes. It supports different device types (e.g., Cisco IOS, Juniper, Aruba) and can handle device-specific command prompts and output formats.

Typical use cases include:

  • Regularly backing up running or startup configurations of routers, switches, and other network equipment.
  • Automating configuration archival as part of network management workflows.
  • Integrating configuration backups into broader IT automation pipelines.

For example, a network engineer could schedule this node to connect nightly to all critical Cisco switches, retrieve their running configs, and store them centrally for compliance and disaster recovery.

Properties

Name Meaning
Configuration Mode How to configure the SSH connection:
- Use Credentials: Use stored SSH credentials (recommended for security).
- Dynamic Parameters: Use dynamic parameters from previous nodes or environment variables.
Dynamic Host Hostname or IP address for SSH connection (required if using Dynamic Parameters mode). Supports expressions and environment variables.
Dynamic Port SSH port number (default 22), used in Dynamic Parameters mode.
Dynamic Username SSH username (required if using Dynamic Parameters mode). Supports expressions and environment variables.
Dynamic Password SSH password (optional, supports expressions and environment variables).
Dynamic Private Key SSH private key content (optional, supports expressions and environment variables).
Configuration Type Type of configuration to retrieve:
- Running Configuration: Current active configuration.
- Startup Configuration: Configuration used at boot.
Return Type How to return the configuration:
- Return Config as Text: Returns configuration as text in the output.
- Binary File: Returns configuration as a binary file.
Advanced Options Collection of advanced settings:
- Command Timeout (ms): Max wait time for commands.
- Output Parsing: How to parse command output (smart, JSON, table, raw, none).
- Continue on Error: Whether to continue on errors.
- Cipher Override: Select cipher algorithms.
- Try Fallback Ciphers: Automatically try alternative ciphers.
- Retry Delay (ms): Delay between retries.
- Verbose Logging: Enable detailed debug logs.
- Line Ending Style: CRLF (Windows) or LF (Unix) line endings.
- Device Type: Select device type for optimized handling (generic, Cisco IOS, Aruba OS/AP, Juniper, HP ProCurve, Dell PowerConnect, MikroTik).

Output

The node outputs an array of items, each containing a json property with the following structure for the backup configuration operation:

  • raw: The raw configuration text retrieved from the device.
  • lines: Array of non-empty lines from the configuration.
  • wordCount: Number of words in the configuration.
  • stderr: Any error output from the SSH command (usually empty on success).
  • exitCode: Exit code of the SSH command (0 indicates success).
  • deviceType: The type of network device queried.
  • parseOutput: The parsing mode used for the output (e.g., smart, json, raw).
  • If "Binary File" return type is selected, the configuration is returned as a binary file in the output's binary data field instead of plain text.

This structured output allows downstream nodes to process, store, or analyze the backed-up configuration easily.

Dependencies

  • Requires an SSH server accessible on the target network device.
  • Needs either stored SSH credentials or dynamic SSH connection parameters.
  • Uses the node-ssh library for SSH connections.
  • Relies on device-specific command sets and prompt handling logic embedded in the node.
  • For secure operation, users should configure appropriate SSH credentials within n8n or provide valid dynamic parameters.
  • Optional verbose logging and cipher selection require proper configuration to match device capabilities.

Troubleshooting

  • Connection Failures: May occur due to incorrect host, port, username, or authentication details. Verify credentials and network reachability.
  • Invalid Host Format: Hostnames must only contain letters, numbers, dots, and hyphens.
  • Port Number Errors: Ports must be between 1 and 65535.
  • Timeouts: Increase the command timeout in advanced options if devices respond slowly.
  • Cipher Mismatches: Some devices may require legacy or specific ciphers; use the cipher override option or enable fallback ciphers.
  • Parsing Issues: If output parsing fails, try changing the output parsing mode (e.g., raw or none).
  • Permission Denied: Ensure SSH user has rights to execute commands and read configurations.
  • Error Messages: The node throws descriptive errors for missing required parameters or invalid inputs, e.g., missing dynamic host/username or empty configuration commands.
  • Continue on Error: Enable this option to allow processing multiple items even if some fail.

Links and References

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