---
id: what-is-vantage
title: What is Vantage
sidebar_label: What is Vantage
---

Vantage manages a fleet of servers from one place. It began as SSH key
management and grew outwards: key assignment, scripted workflows, service
monitoring, a secrets vault, a browser console and OS update management.

## The pieces

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    W["Web UI<br/>servers · keys · workflows · monitors<br/>secrets · audit · console · settings"]
    S["Vantage server<br/>the control plane"]
    A["Agent<br/>one per managed server<br/>Linux and Windows"]
    W -->|you sign in here| S
    S -->|sends work| A
    A -.->|connects outbound| S
```

**The server** is the control plane. It holds all your data and makes all the
decisions.

**The agent** is a single small program running on each managed server. It asks
the control plane what it should be doing, and holds an open connection so
Vantage can send it work without waiting.

**The web UI** is what you use. Everything it can do goes through the same API
that enforces your permissions, so nothing is possible in the UI that would not
be permitted elsewhere.

## How agents connect

The agent always connects **outbound**. There is no listener on a managed
server, no port to open and no NAT to work around. If the machine can reach your
Vantage address, it can be managed.

That is why you tell Vantage its own agent address (`GRPC_HOST`) when you install
it: the agent has to be given an address it can reach, and Vantage cannot guess
one for you.

## Keeping things current

| What                      | How it works                                                              |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SSH keys on a server      | The agent checks every 30 seconds and only writes when something changed   |
| Workflow steps, updates   | Sent to the agent straight away, so clicking Run does not wait for a check |
| Inventory                 | Reported every 30 seconds, with a fuller snapshot every 15 minutes         |
| Pending OS updates        | Checked hourly                                                            |

## Next

- [Cloud or self-hosted](./cloud-vs-self-hosted.md), to pick which one you want
- [Self-hosted install](./self-hosted-install.md), to stand it up