quick-start-guide.md

Quick Start Guide

Before we begin be sure to download and install confd.

Select a backend

confd supports the following backends:

• etcd
• consul
• environment variables

Add keys

This guide assumes you have a working etcd, or consul server up and running and the ability to add new keys.

etcd

etcdctl set /myapp/database/url db.example.com
etcdctl set /myapp/database/user rob

consul

curl -X PUT -d 'db.example.com' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/myapp/database/url
curl -X PUT -d 'rob' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/myapp/database/user

environment variables

export MYAPP_DATABASE_URL=db.example.com
export MYAPP_DATABASE_USER=rob

zookeeper

Use zkCli.sh to add keys

[zk: localhost:2181(CONNECTED) 1] create /my_app "" 
[zk: localhost:2181(CONNECTED) 2] create /my_app/database ""
[zk: localhost:2181(CONNECTED) 3] create /my_app/database/url "db.example.com"
[zk: localhost:2181(CONNECTED) 4] create /my_app/database/user "rob"           

Please note that zookeeper backend doesn't support watch and values from znodes with children won't be retrieved.

Create the confdir

The confdir is where template resource configs and source templates are stored.

sudo mkdir -p /etc/confd/{conf.d,templates}

Create a template resource config

Template resources are defined in TOML config files under the confdir.

/etc/confd/conf.d/myconfig.toml

[template]
src = "myconfig.conf.tmpl"
dest = "/tmp/myconfig.conf"
keys = [
    "/myapp/database/url",
    "/myapp/database/user",
]

Create the source template

Source templates are Golang text templates.

/etc/confd/templates/myconfig.conf.tmpl

[myconfig]
database_url = {{getv "/myapp/database/url"}}
database_user = {{getv "/myapp/database/user"}}

Process the template

confd supports two modes of operation daemon and onetime. In daemon mode confd polls a backend for changes and updates destination configuration files if necessary.

etcd

confd -onetime -backend etcd -node 127.0.0.1:4001

consul

confd -onetime -backend consul -node 127.0.0.1:8500

env

confd -onetime -backend env

Output:

2014-07-08T20:38:36-07:00 confd[16252]: WARNING Skipping confd config file.
2014-07-08T20:38:36-07:00 confd[16252]: INFO Target config /tmp/myconfig.conf out of sync
2014-07-08T20:38:36-07:00 confd[16252]: INFO Target config /tmp/myconfig.conf has been updated

The dest configuration file should now be in sync.

cat /tmp/myconfig.conf

Output:

# This a comment
[myconfig]
database_url = db.example.com
database_user = rob

Advanced Example

In this example we will use confd to manage two nginx config files using a single template.

Add keys

etcd

etcdctl set /myapp/subdomain myapp
etcdctl set /myapp/upstream/app2 "10.0.1.100:80"
etcdctl set /myapp/upstream/app1 "10.0.1.101:80"
etcdctl set /yourapp/subdomain yourapp
etcdctl set /yourapp/upstream/app2 "10.0.1.102:80"
etcdctl set /yourapp/upstream/app1 "10.0.1.103:80"

consul

curl -X PUT -d 'myapp' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/myapp/subdomain
curl -X PUT -d '10.0.1.100:80' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/myapp/upstream/app1
curl -X PUT -d '10.0.1.101:80' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/myapp/upstream/app2
curl -X PUT -d 'yourapp' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/yourapp/subdomain
curl -X PUT -d '10.0.1.102:80' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/yourapp/upstream/app1
curl -X PUT -d '10.0.1.103:80' http://localhost:8500/v1/kv/yourapp/upstream/app2

Create template resources

/etc/confd/conf.d/myapp-nginx.toml

[template]
prefix = "/myapp"
src = "nginx.tmpl"
dest = "/tmp/myapp.conf"
owner = "nginx"
mode = "0644"
keys = [
  "/subdomain",
  "/upstream",
]
check_cmd = "/usr/sbin/nginx -t -c {{.src}}"
reload_cmd = "/usr/sbin/service nginx reload"

/etc/confd/conf.d/yourapp-nginx.toml

[template]
prefix = "/yourapp"
src = "nginx.tmpl"
dest = "/tmp/yourapp.conf"
owner = "nginx"
mode = "0644"
keys = [
  "/subdomain",
  "/upstream",
]
check_cmd = "/usr/sbin/nginx -t -c {{.src}}"
reload_cmd = "/usr/sbin/service nginx reload"

Create the source template

/etc/confd/templates/nginx.tmpl

upstream {{getv "/subdomain"}} {
{{range getvs "/upstream/*"}}
    server {{.}};
{{end}}
}

server {
    server_name  {{getv "/subdomain"}}.example.com;
    location / {
        proxy_pass        http://{{getv "/subdomain"}};
        proxy_redirect    off;
        proxy_set_header  Host             $host;
        proxy_set_header  X-Real-IP        $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header  X-Forwarded-For  $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
   }
}