# poll_background_job

Read accumulated output and status of a background job (redacted).

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `poll_background_job`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/poll-background-job

## Facts

- Tool: `poll_background_job`
- Server: SSH MCP Server (`bhayanak/ssh-mcp-server`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/bhayanak/ssh-mcp-server
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "poll_background_job",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why poll_background_job is rated Low

This tool retrieves the status and output of an already-running background job. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything—it only reads state. While the output could theoretically contain sensitive information from remote systems, the tool itself performs no destructive or impactful operations.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'poll_background_job' and description 'Read accumulated output and status of a background job' clearly indicate a retrieval operation."

## Use case

AI agents call poll_background_job to retrieve information from SSH MCP Server without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches SSH MCP Server:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "poll_background_job": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on SSH MCP Server (22)

- `cancel_background_job` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/cancel-background-job.md
- `remove_ssh_key` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/remove-ssh-key.md
- `revoke_cert` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/revoke-cert.md
- `sftp_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/sftp-delete.md
- `approve_request` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/approve-request.md
- `request_approval` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/request-approval.md
- `run_ssh_command` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/run-ssh-command.md
- `run_ssh_command_background` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/run-ssh-command-background.md
- `ssh_connect` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/ssh-connect.md
- `get_audit_logs` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/get-audit-logs.md
- `get_host_facts` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/get-host-facts.md
- `list_background_jobs` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/list-background-jobs.md
- `list_hosts` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/list-hosts.md
- `list_pending_approvals` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/list-pending-approvals.md
- `list_templates` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/list-templates.md
- `sftp_list_directory` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/sftp-list-directory.md
- `ssh_list_sessions` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/ssh-list-sessions.md
- `ssh_session_ping` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/ssh-session-ping.md
- `add_ssh_key` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/add-ssh-key.md
- `issue_cert` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/issue-cert.md
- `ssh_disconnect` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/ssh-disconnect.md
- `transfer_file` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server/transfer-file.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/bhayanak-ssh-mcp-server