In the context of Alibaba Cloud, what is the main use of a Bastion Host?

A Bastion Host serves a crucial role in network security, particularly in cloud environments like Alibaba Cloud. Its primary function is to act as a gateway or bridge for managing secure access to private resources within a network. This means that the Bastion Host is configured to allow external users, such as system administrators or authorized personnel, to connect to instances in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) securely.

By routing traffic through a Bastion Host, organizations can enforce stringent access controls, monitor connections, and reduce the attack surface of their private resources. It typically uses secure protocols, such as SSH (Secure Shell) for Linux servers or RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) for Windows servers, to ensure that sensitive data and resources remain protected from unauthorized access.

Using a Bastion Host is a best practice in cloud architecture, especially when dealing with sensitive or critical infrastructure. This enhances the overall security posture of the cloud environment by centralizing access and providing an additional layer of defense.

The other choices do not align with the primary function of a Bastion Host. For instance, a Bastion Host isn’t designed for high-performance computing environments, hosting web applications, or analyzing big data efficiently, which reflects the roles of different services within cloud architecture.