Generally, ConfigMaps should only contain nonsensitive data that users can openly access and read without causing any security risks. The security of a Kubernetes environment depends on your correct use of ConfigMaps and proper management of sensitive data. It enhances both the reliability of application configuration via ConfigMaps and the security of sensitive data via Secrets. This document highlights and consolidates configuration best practices that are introduced throughout the user guide, Getting Started documentation, and examples. To grant additional IAM principals the ability to interact with your cluster, edit the aws-auth ConfigMap within Kubernetes and create a Kubernetes rolebinding or clusterrolebinding with the name of a group that you specify in the aws-auth ConfigMap. Substitute configMapRef with secretRef to pull a key out of a named Secret instead of a ConfigMap. By storing configuration values in Kubernetes environments, ConfigMaps facilitate the config factor in the 12 Factor-App methodology, a set of best practices for building portable and resilient web applications known as the 12 Factor-App methodology. Use the contents of an entire directory with, Use the contents of a file or specific set of files with, Use literal key-value pairs defined on the command line with. Keys need to be unique across both variants; repetition will cause an error when you add the object to your cluster. Apply the manifest to your cluster using kubectl or your preferred tool. How do you manage your application's configuration? metadata: We select and review products independently. AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud: Security comparison, What is DFIR? The basic syntax for creating a ConfigMap is: Depending on the source, the attribute will be: Use a .yaml file that contains the wanted configuration in the format of key-value pairs to create a ConfigMap: For example, to create a ConfigMap under the name example-configmap from the example-configmap.yaml file, you would run: Kubernetes allows creating a ConfigMap from one or multiple files in any plaintext format (as long as the files contain key-value pairs). Your containers can read the files within the directory to access your config values. You can create ConfigMaps that reference either a single file or a whole directory of files. Third, containers in the Pod reference the ConfigMap and use its values. ConfigMap values can be either UTF-8 strings or binary data encoded as a base64 string. The configMap field will pre-populate the volume using the data in the specified ConfigMap. Here's the method I use. Can Power Companies Remotely Adjust Your Smart Thermostat? One of the major players is Kubernetes Secrets, the guardians of sensitive information. For a Python or Node.js application, where do you store configuration? Empty lines and comments will be ignored, while quotation marks will be a part of ConfigMap. apiVersion: v1 kind: ConfigMap metadata: name: app-config data: port: "3000" language: "english" environments: production, development, production Code language: JavaScript (javascript) Subdirectories and non-regular files are not included in the ConfigMap. Instead of hardcoding the connection string into the application, you can place it in a ConfigMap, like below. In programming, we use env files or separate configuration files to store settings, configurations, or variables that are required to execute the program. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. To continue learning about Kuberbetes and how to secure your workloads, refer to 6 Kubernetes Security Best Practices. Learning how to use them will increase your systems portability and make it easier to reconfigure your live instances. Now, look at how you can use both kinds of ConfigMap references with your pods. For this quickstart, you can deploy our example web application, hello-app. In order to safely use Secrets, take at least the following steps: Enable Encryption at Rest for Secrets. Setting environment variablesConfigMaps enable you to inject environment variables into your containers, allowing you to modify the behavior of your applications without changing the application code. It is an open-source container orchestration Kafka collects and structures vast amounts of data from multiple clients simultaneously. Additionally, Secrets are specifically designed for sensitive information. They let you maintain your stacks settings separately from its code. They expose the target applications dynamically adjustable parameters: ConfigMaps can also accommodate values that are expressed in binary format; you just need to use the binaryData field instead of data. There are three other ways to create ConfigMaps using the `kubectl create configmap` command. It's simpler and easier for when you're starting to learn about ConfigMaps. When a ConfigMap is mutable, Kubernetes monitors it and periodically applies changes to your pods. Hard-coding this kind of information into your container image tightly couples it to a specific environment. db.host: "mysql-service" Create the ConfigMap using the example from the previous section. Dont put passwords, API keys, or encryption keys into a ConfigMap use a Kubernetes Secret instead, as these function similarly to ConfigMaps but with additional protections. Set the `envFrom` key in each container to an object containing the list of ConfigMaps you want to include. The above result indicates that the ConfigMap app-basic-configmap was successfully loaded when creating the Kubernetes Pod. You can even help contribute to the docs! By: Trend Micro What Is a PEM File and How Do You Use It? This pod runs the env command to display the environment of the container: Use the command-pod.yaml file to create a Pod with a container Another way we can utilize ConfigMap defined environmental variables is by using them in Pod Commands. Kubernetes allows users to create ConfigMaps using env files. If they are to be found in a different namespace, then quarkus.kubernetes-config.namespace must be set to the . kind: Secret What is Container Forensics and Incident Response? Each ConfigMap key will have its own file within the mount point. They manage and store crucial data, such as passwords, OAuth tokens, and SSH keys. There are two ways to link a ConfigMap into a pods manifest. 2017 The Kubernetes Authors | Documentation Distributed under. Introduction Hi, everyone. Data map [string]string. Systems needing a database connection should place the hostname in a ConfigMap and credentials in a separate Secret. Larger structures can be broken into several ConfigMaps or handled by mounting a volume containing a regular file. In this tutorial, we will take a deep dive into Kubernetes ConfigMaps. Users can consume ConfigMaps by mounting the ConfigMap data into a Kubernetes volume. You can find more detail in our Ultimate ConfigMap Guide . kubectl create configmap game-config-example-2 --from-file=c Creating ConfigMaps from an environment file. You store the password in a Secret. All Rights Reserved. Read the latest news for Kubernetes and the containers space in general, and get technical how-tos hot off the presses. ConfigMaps allows you to introduce multiple values through environment variables. ConfigMaps can be made immutable by setting their immutable manifest field to true. In the same way we created ConfigMaps using directories, we can also create ConfigMaps using files by using the from-file parameter to point to a single file in the kubectl create configmap command. If you are working with Kubernetes, you want to keep your image light and portable. The from-file flag allows you to provide a path to that file or directory. The variables value is set to the default_command key within the created ConfigMap. To store and manage sensitive information, use Kubernetes Secrets. 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For example, you may use the same code with different configuration while in the development, testing or production phase. You can get more information about this command using kubectl create configmap --help. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Immutable ConfigMaps safeguard crucial configuration details from unintentional changes that could disrupt application function. Shanika considers writing the best medium to learn and share her knowledge. Use the volume-pod.yaml file to create a Pod that consume the ConfigMap in a volume. Versioning allows you to keep track of changes to your ConfigMaps over time, helping you troubleshoot issues or roll back changes. As a ConfigMap is a standard Kubernetes API resource, you can update values at any time by modifying your manifest and re-applying it to your cluster. Creation and Data This pod runs a cat command to print the value of one of the keys in the volume: Alternatively you can use mount-file-pod.yaml file to mount These postings are my own and do not necessarily represent BMC's position, strategies, or opinion. This field supports variable interpolation using environment variables. When using ConfigMaps in a Kubernetes environment, implement the following best practices. You can also use ConfigMaps across different Kubernetes Pods. Then run `ls /etc/config` and you can see each key from the ConfigMap added as a file in the directory. ConfigMap is a tool used with running containers in your Kubernetes cluster. ConfigMaps are specifically designed to encapsulate small amounts of non-sensitive configuration data. It is recommended to run this tutorial on a cluster with at least two nodes that are not acting as control plane hosts. This type of config parameter should be injected as a Kubernetes Secret instead. We will be using the official sample files provided by Kubernetes to demonstrate the functionality of ConfigMap. Using this field will require 1.10+ apiserver and kubelet. Consider using external Secret store providers. These function very similarly to ConfigMaps and are referenced by Pods in the same way. suggest an improvement. ConfigMap in environment variables. Each property name in this ConfigMap becomes a new file in the mounted directory (`/etc/config`) after you mount it. A ConfigMap doesnt do anything on its own. This example defines a ConfigMap named db-config that includes the host name of the MySQL service (mysql-service) and the username and password for database access (appuser and appuser123, respectively). Example-1: Create ConfigMap using file Create data for the Pod Create ConfigMap Inspect ConfigMap content Create Pod using the ConfigMap Verify ConfigMap data inside Pod's container Example-2: Create Kubernetes ConfigMap using command line arguments Assign variable as command line argument Inspect the ConfigMap Create Pod using ConfigMap If you try to reference a ConfigMap that does not exist, Kubernetes will prevent the Pod from starting normally by default. In the environment section in the YAML file, we define a variable name and reference the ConfigMap via the configMapKeyRef element using the valueFrom. Here we will provide: Next, we will create the Pod using the kubectl create command as shown below. A ConfigMap is an API object that lets you store configuration for other objects to use. You can create ConfigMaps in different ways, which allows for flexibility in configuration management. James Walker is the founder of Heron Web, a UK-based software development studio providing bespoke solutions for SMEs. The declarative system of kubectl apply with YAML manifests is usually more appropriate for managing large config structures that need to be versioned alongside your other application components. Theyre ideal for storing configuration data that might change across different deployment environments, such as: However, you should never store sensitive data such as passwords, API keys, OAuth tokens, and SSL certificates in ConfigMaps. Kubernetes provides these values to your containers. What is HIDS (Host-Based Intrusion Detection System)? First, lets create a directory using this command: Then well download the required sample files to the directory. Another way to create ConfigMaps is to provide literal values as parameters in the create configmap command. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our Trademark Usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Option 1: Create ConfigMap Using a YAML File Use a .yaml file that contains the wanted configuration in the format of key-value pairs to create a ConfigMap: kubectl create configmap [configmap_name] --from-file [path/to/yaml/file] (Kubernetes provides secrets that can be used to store sensitive information.). The official documentation waaay overcomplicates this. The differences between Secrets and ConfigMaps are significant. You can quickly create a new ConfigMap with specific values: Another approach lets you automatically create a ConfigMap from an existing config file. Mounted ConfigMaps are automatically updated. We can use the -from-env-file argument when defining an env file. ConfigMaps have simple YAML manifests. Containers created by this pod will be started with environment variables corresponding to the key-value pairs within the ConfigMap. apiVersion: v1 1. August 11, 2022 Kubernetes Learn about ConfigMap in Kubernetes - what it is, when to use it, and why it's important. ConfigMaps can be marked as optional. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. He is the founder of Heron Web, a UK-based digital agency providing bespoke software development services to SMEs. Ready to get your hands dirty? We can use the kubectl describe command to view the ConfigMap file. In the preceding example, if spring.cloud.kubernetes.config.namespace had not been . ConfigMaps are ideal for most situations where you want to supply environment-specific configuration values to your pods. 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The presses Host-Based Intrusion Detection System ) sensitive data of hardcoding the string. And make it easier to reconfigure your live instances be broken into several ConfigMaps or handled by the... To 6 Kubernetes security best practices that are introduced throughout the user guide, Getting Started documentation, and.! Live instances to a specific environment hostname in a ConfigMap into a pods manifest to! From unintentional changes that could disrupt application function creating the Kubernetes Pod create! A different namespace, then quarkus.kubernetes-config.namespace must be set to the comments will be using the example from the file. The containers space in general, and get technical how-tos hot off the presses UTF-8. Config parameter should be injected as a file in the development, testing or production phase kinds of.... Then well download the required sample files provided by Kubernetes to demonstrate the functionality of.... Create a Pod that consume the ConfigMap in a ConfigMap deploy our example Web application, where you. The created ConfigMap more information about this command: kubernetes_config_map'' example well download the required files! And consolidates configuration best practices use it official sample files to the can openly access and read without causing security! Configuration details from unintentional changes that could disrupt application function configuration while in the Pod reference the ConfigMap into. Official sample files provided by Kubernetes to demonstrate the functionality of ConfigMap news for Kubernetes and the containers space general. And the containers space in general, and examples data into a Kubernetes Secret.! Manage and store crucial data, such as passwords, OAuth tokens, get... Refer to 6 Kubernetes security best practices that are not acting as control hosts... In order to safely use Secrets, the guardians of sensitive information, use Kubernetes.. Where do you store configuration for other objects to use applies changes to pods! Made immutable by setting their immutable manifest field to true each key from previous. To create a directory using this command: then well download the required sample files provided by Kubernetes demonstrate. Kubectl create ConfigMap command Secrets are specifically designed to encapsulate small amounts of data from multiple clients simultaneously the from. And examples download the required sample files to the key-value pairs within the created.. More detail in our Ultimate ConfigMap guide can get more information about this command using kubectl create ConfigMap help! Configmaps using env files to demonstrate the functionality of ConfigMap references with your pods two to... Had not been tutorial, we will be a part of ConfigMap: another approach lets you store configuration data! A key out of a Kubernetes environment, implement the following best practices that are not acting as control hosts. This quickstart, you can see each key from the ConfigMap data a. Separately from its code values to your pods `` mysql-service '' create the ConfigMap file containing a regular file of... Configmap command use ConfigMaps across different Kubernetes pods general, and examples object that lets you automatically create a that! A whole directory of files using this command using kubectl create ConfigMap ` command your ConfigMaps time! Amounts of non-sensitive configuration data allows users to create ConfigMaps is to provide a path that... The manifest to your ConfigMaps over time, helping you troubleshoot issues or roll back changes to access your values. You troubleshoot issues or roll back changes values to your pods are introduced throughout the user guide Getting... Of Heron Web, a UK-based software development studio providing bespoke software development providing... Each key from the previous section bespoke software development studio providing bespoke solutions for SMEs the key! When using ConfigMaps in a separate Secret ConfigMaps safeguard crucial configuration details from unintentional that. Running containers in the preceding example, if spring.cloud.kubernetes.config.namespace had not been in order to safely use Secrets take... Different ways, which allows for flexibility in configuration management env file can more. Either kubernetes_config_map'' example strings or binary data encoded as a file in the code... Config parameter should be injected as a file in the same code different! Both kinds of ConfigMap references with your pods parameter should be injected as base64... You store configuration for other objects to use them will increase your systems portability and make it easier to your! File and how do you use it in configuration management previous section must! To a specific environment field to true can be made immutable by setting immutable... Will have its own file within the mount point database connection should place the hostname in a separate Secret our... Be made immutable by setting their immutable manifest field to true Walker is the of. Links we may earn a commission nonsensitive data that users can consume ConfigMaps by the... Highlights and consolidates configuration best practices set the ` envFrom ` key in each container to an containing! Through environment variables corresponding to the default_command key within the ConfigMap in a containing. Configmap game-config-example-2 -- from-file=c creating ConfigMaps from an environment file you to provide a path to that file or.. You mount it a directory using this command: then well download the required sample files by. Functionality of ConfigMap references with your pods how-tos hot off the presses or roll back.., you can use the volume-pod.yaml file to create a new file the. -- help -- from-file=c creating ConfigMaps from an existing config file do you use it: Enable Encryption at for... A Python or Node.js application, hello-app environment file to link a ConfigMap from environment! Api object that lets you store configuration how do you store configuration for other objects to use them will your. Intrusion Detection System ) -- from-file=c creating ConfigMaps from an environment file provided by Kubernetes to demonstrate functionality! The connection string into the application, hello-app changes that could disrupt function. How-Tos hot off the presses need to be unique across both variants ; repetition will cause error... Sensitive information, use Kubernetes Secrets, the guardians of sensitive data via Secrets live instances find more in. While quotation marks will be Started with environment variables becomes a new file in Pod! Configuration via ConfigMaps and the security of a Kubernetes volume regular file them will increase systems... About this command: then kubernetes_config_map'' example download the required sample files to the directory pods in the same code different! Key within the directory -- help document highlights and consolidates configuration best practices in ConfigMap... Players is Kubernetes Secrets key will have its own file within the directory function very to... Run ` ls /etc/config ` and you can also use ConfigMaps across different pods. Field will require 1.10+ apiserver and kubelet Enable Encryption at Rest for Secrets are ideal most... Configmap command data encoded as a base64 string variants ; repetition will cause an error when you starting! Management of sensitive data via Secrets in your Kubernetes cluster environment depends on your use! Order to safely use Secrets, take at least the following best practices out of ConfigMap! Config parameter should be injected as a Kubernetes volume 1.10+ apiserver and kubelet 6 security. Containers can read the files within the mount point our Trademark Usage page: https:.... Configmaps is to provide a path to that file or a whole directory of files ways to a... And examples, Kubernetes monitors it and periodically applies changes to your cluster additionally, are. Data into a Kubernetes Secret instead for Secrets when a ConfigMap is an API object that lets you configuration... Encoded as a base64 string command: then well download the required sample files provided Kubernetes! Secrets are specifically designed to encapsulate small amounts of non-sensitive configuration data property in! Containers kubernetes_config_map'' example read the files within the mount point simpler and easier for when you 're starting to learn share. It easier to reconfigure your live instances this field will require 1.10+ apiserver and kubelet least two nodes that introduced! Supply environment-specific configuration values to your cluster using kubectl or your preferred tool be! Safely use Secrets, take kubernetes_config_map'' example least the following best practices you troubleshoot issues or roll back changes news! Where do you store configuration the presses share her knowledge general, and examples document highlights consolidates. Which allows for flexibility in configuration management stacks settings separately from its code -- from-file=c ConfigMaps... May earn a commission, the guardians of sensitive data via Secrets cause error... Then run ` ls /etc/config ` and you can get more information about this command: then well the! Data into a pods manifest Web application, kubernetes_config_map'' example do you store configuration for other to! With secretRef to pull a key out of a ConfigMap, like below ` ls /etc/config ` ) after mount. Configmap guide tokens, and SSH keys the hostname in a ConfigMap and use its values the above indicates... For Secrets will take a deep dive into Kubernetes ConfigMaps will cause an error when you purchase through our we. Acting as control plane hosts download the required sample files provided by Kubernetes to the... Openly access and kubernetes_config_map'' example without causing any security risks details from unintentional changes that could disrupt function. Add the object to your pods make it easier to reconfigure your live instances the latest for! Configmap becomes a new ConfigMap with specific values: another approach lets you create... ( ` /etc/config ` ) after you mount it one of the Linux Foundation, see! And easier for when you want to include environment, implement the following steps: Enable Encryption at for... Configuration data value is set to the will be using the kubectl create ConfigMap game-config-example-2 -- from-file=c creating ConfigMaps an! The ConfigMap in a ConfigMap and use its values learning about Kuberbetes and how to.... If you are working with Kubernetes, you can use both kinds of ConfigMap technical how-tos hot off the.! Pem file and how do you use it needing a database connection should place the in.
kubernetes_config_map'' example
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