Connections

Connecting through an SSH tunnel or AWS SSM

Updated 2026-07-23 · 1 min read

Reach a database that is not exposed to the internet — over a bastion / jump-host chain or AWS SSM — and let the tunnel open and close itself.

Many production databases are not reachable directly — they sit in a private network behind a bastion (jump host). AddisDB can open the tunnel for you and route the connection through it, so you connect as if the database were local.

SSH jump hosts

  1. In the Add-database form, open Tunnel (optional) and choose SSH.
  2. Add one hop for a single bastion, or chain several for a ProxyJump-style path (bastion → … → database).
  3. Authenticate each hop with your ssh-agent, a password, or a private key. Import a host straight from your ~/.ssh/config to fill in the details.

The Host and Port above the tunnel are the database as seen from the far end of the tunnel. The tunnel opens when you connect and closes itself when you disconnect.

AWS SSM (bastion-less)

If your instance is managed by AWS Systems Manager, choose SSM instead and give the target instance id, region and profile. AddisDB port-forwards through SSM using your ambient AWS credentials — no inbound SSH and nothing stored. It needs the AWS CLI and the session-manager-plugin installed.