+=item ssh_cmd [USER@]HOST, COMMAND [, ARGS ... ]
+
+Calls ssh in batch mode. Throws a fatal error if data occurs on the command's
+STDERR. Returns any data from the command's STDOUT.
+
+=cut
+
+sub ssh_cmd {
+ my($host, @command) = @_;
+
+ my $reader = IO::File->new();
+ my $writer = IO::File->new();
+ my $error = IO::File->new();
+
+ sshopen3( $host, $reader, $writer, $error, @command ) or die $!;
+
+ local $/ = undef;
+ my $output_stream = <$writer>;
+ my $error_stream = <$error>;
+
+ if ( length $error_stream ) {
+ die "[Net:SSH::ssh_cmd] STDERR $error_stream";
+ }
+
+ return $output_stream;
+
+}
+