Abstract: A method on a computer system for facilitating management of virtual machines in a private data center over a communications network can be provided. The method can include receiving, by a first computer in the private data center, a request via the communications network from a user for access to a subset of a plurality of virtual machines in the private data center. The method can further include executing a first authentication process by proxy between the user and the first computer and executing a second authentication process by proxy between the user and a second computer at the private data center. The method can further include establishing a secure, out-of-band connection between the user and the subset of the plurality of virtual machines in the private data network and restricting access of the user to the subset of the plurality of virtual machines according to permissions associated with the user.