WORK ARCHITECTURE

How does a resource work through Cerberus?

The resource stays in its own environment. Cerberus manages the connection path, browser work surface, and protected credential handoff in one session context.

Explore connection models
  • RDP
  • VNC
  • SSH
  • Kubernetes

01 / CONNECTION MODELS

Choose the connection model that fits the resource

Each model contributes different readiness and reachability signals. The responsibilities that stay in the resource environment remain explicit.

01

Optional Windows Agent

Best fit
Local readiness and health visibility for Windows machines.
What it contributes
Device identity, service health, telemetry, and reachability signals.
Stays in the resource environment
Operating system, target service, and local network policy.
02

Private-network Gateway

Best fit
Controlled reachability to RDP, VNC, SSH, and terminal targets on the same private network.
What it contributes
A configured connection path for the selected protocol through the Gateway.
Stays in the resource environment
Gateway operation, target services, and private-network access.
03

Existing approved path

Best fit
Resources with established approved reachability or a manual resource definition.
What it contributes
Brings the resource definition, existing path, and browser work surface together.
Stays in the resource environment
Target reachability, firewall rules, and network permissions.

02 / BROWSER RUNTIME

The browser surface follows the protocol

CerberusLite projects desktop and terminal capabilities into the browser together with the effective session policy.

RDPGraphical desktop

A Windows desktop session opens in the browser work surface.

  • Fullscreen
  • Secure attention
  • Clipboard / transfer policy
VNCGraphical desktop

The VNC display and input scope run in the same browser shell.

  • Keyboard and pointer
  • Read-only mode
  • Reconnect
SSHTerminal

The command line and optional file transfer project into a browser terminal.

  • Terminal input
  • SFTP transfer
  • Input policy
KubernetesTerminal session

A Kubernetes terminal joins the managed resource and session context.

  • Terminal projection
  • Input scope
  • Session status

03 / OPTIONAL WINDOWS AGENT

The optional Windows Agent has its own trust chain

The Agent path serves deployments that need richer readiness and health signals from a Windows machine.

  1. 01Secure enrollment through SSO and PKCE
  2. 02Device identity verified with an RSA public key
  3. 03Local secrets protected by Windows DPAPI
  4. 04Health and telemetry signals from the Windows service
  5. 05Releases verified by signature and checksum

The Agent is optional. Private-network Gateway and existing approved paths operate as separate connection models.

04 / CREDENTIAL CUSTODY

The target credential stays on the session path

While the operator works in the browser, target credential material travels through the protected handoff path to the protocol runtime.

01

Work in the browser

The operator uses the desktop or terminal surface while the target secret remains on the protected session path.

02

Authorized session context

Protected material is handed off only for the selected target and authorized session context.

03

Protocol runtime

Credential material required by the connection is processed on a work path separated from the user surface.

TECHNICAL REVIEW

Verify before connecting.

Four technical sources for reviewing responsibility boundaries and security decisions.
  1. 01
    Resource access surface

    Review where the resource stays and which boundary the connection path crosses.

    Source document
  2. 02
    Credential protection

    See how the target secret is protected along the work path.

    Source document
  3. 03
    Closure and revocation

    Review the closure flow when readiness or session state changes.

    Source document
  4. 04
    Deployment responsibilities

    Evaluate identity, network, endpoint, and record responsibilities.

    Source document

Inspect the architecture through the working product

See the portal and RDP work surface in the demo or continue to the technical documentation.