Spring Cloud Config

Centralized, versioned configuration

management for distributed applications

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Objectives
● At the end of this module, you will be able to
– Explain what Spring Cloud Config is
– Build and Run and Spring Cloud Config Server
– Establish a Repository
– Build, Run, and Configure a Client

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Module Outline
● Configuration Management
– Challenges
– Desired Solution
● Spring Cloud Config
– Server Side
– Client Side
● Repository Organization

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 What is
Application Configuration?
● Applications are more than just code
– Connections to resources, other applications

● Usually use external configuration to adjust software behavior

– Where resources are located
– How to connect to the DB
– Etc.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Configuration Options
● Package configuration files with application
– Requires rebuild, restart

● Configuration files in common file system

– Unavailable in cloud

● Use environment variables

– Done differently on different platforms
– Large # of individual variables to manage / duplicate

● Use a cloud-vendor specific solution

– Coupling application to specific environment

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Other Challenges
● Microservices → large # of dependent services
Manual Work, Brittle
● Dynamic updates
– Changes to services or environment variables require
restage or restart
Deployment Activities
● Version control

Traceablity

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Desired Solution for Configuration
● Platform/Cloud-Independent solution
– Language-independent too
● Centralized
– Or a few discrete sources of our choosing
● Dynamic
– Ability to update settings while an application is running
● Controllable
– Same SCM choices we use with software
● Passive
– Services (Applications) should do most of the work themselves by
self-registering

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Solution:
● Spring Cloud Config
– Provides centralized, externalized, secured, easy-to-reach
source of application configuration
● Spring Cloud Bus
– Provides simple way to notify clients to config changes
● Spring Cloud Netflix Eureka
– Service Discovery – Allows applications to register
themselves as clients

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Module Outline
● Configuration Management
– Challenges
– Desired Solution
● Spring Cloud Config
– Server Side
– Client Side
● Repository Organization

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Spring Cloud Config
● Designates a centralized server to serve-up configuration information
– Configuration itself can be backed by source control

● Clients connect over HTTP and retrieve their configuration settings

– In addition to their own, internal sources of configuration

HTTP Client Application

ConfigServer
Config Server (Spring)
Config Server HTTP
H
TT
P Client Application
(Spring)

Backing Files
(Git, Flat Files, etc.) Client Application
(Another Technology)

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Module Outline
● Configuration Management
– Challenges
– Desired Solution
● Spring Cloud Config
– Server Side
– Client Side
● Repository Organization

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Spring Cloud Config Server
● Source available at GitHub:
https://github.com/spring-cloud-samples/configserver
● Or, it is reasonably easy to build your own

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Spring Cloud Config Server – Building, part 1
<parent>
● Include minimal dependencies in <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
your POM (or Gradle) <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
<version>1.5.2.RELEASE</version>
– Spring Boot Starter Parent
</parent>
– Spring Cloud Starter Parent ...
– Spring Cloud Config Server <dependencyManagement>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-parent</artifactId>
<version>Dalston.RELEASE</version>
...
</dependencyManagement>

<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-cloud-config-server</artifactId>
</dependency>
</dependencies>

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Spring Cloud Config Server – Building, part 2
● application.yml – indicates location of configuration repository

---
spring:
cloud:
config:
server:
git:
uri: https://github.com/kennyk65/Microservices-With-Spring-Student-Files
searchPaths: ConfigData

– ...or application.properties

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Spring Cloud Config Server – Building, part 3
● Add @EnableConfigServer
@SpringBootApplication
@EnableConfigServer
public class Application {

public static void main(String[] args) {

SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
}

● That's It!

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Module Outline
● Configuration Management
– Challenges
– Desired Solution
● Spring Cloud Config
– Server Side
– Client Side
● Repository Organization

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 The Client Side – Building part 1
● Use the Spring Boot Starter parent as a Parent POM:
<parent>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
<version>1.5.2.RELEASE</version>
</parent>

● ...And use Dependency management section for Spring Cloud:

<dependencyManagement>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-parent</artifactId>
<version>Dalston.RELEASE</version>
<type>pom</type>
<scope>import</scope>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</dependencyManagement>

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 The Client Side – Building Part 2
● Include the Spring Cloud Starter for config:
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-config</artifactId>
</dependency>

● Configure application name and server location in

bootstrap.properties / yml
● So it is examined early in the startup process
# bootstrap.properties:
spring.application.name: lucky-word
spring.cloud.config.uri: http://localhost:8001

● That's It!
– Client connects at startup for additional configuration settings.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 The Client Side
● How Properties work in Spring Applications
– Spring apps have an Environment object
– Environment object contains multiple PropertySources
● Typically populated from environment variables, system properties, JNDI,
developer-specified property files, etc.
– Spring Cloud Config Client library simply adds another
PropertySource
● By connecting to server over HTTP
● http://<server>:<port>/<spring.application.name>/<profile>
– Result: Properties described by server become part of client
application's environment

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Client-Side Startup Process
Two Stages:

● Bootstrap:
– Application context is loaded using bootstrap.yml (or .properties)
– Application connects to Config server, loads more properties

● Main:
– A “child” application context is loaded using application.yml (or properties)
– All properties from parent/bootstrap Environment are available on startup.

● Recommendation: Use bootstrap.yml / .properties only for settings that

MUST be set early (application name, URI of config server, etc.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Module Outline
● Configuration Management
– Challenges
– Desired Solution
● Spring Cloud Config
– Server Side
– Client Side
● Repository Organization

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 EnvironmentRepository - Choices
● Spring Cloud Config Server uses an
EnvironmentRepository
– Two implementations available: Git and Native (local files)
● Implement EnvironmentRepository to use other
sources.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Environment Repository - Organization
● Configuration file naming convention:
– <spring.application.name>-<profile>.yml
● Or .properties (yml takes precedence)
– spring.application.name – set by client application's bootstrap.yml (or
.properties)
– profile – Client's spring.profiles.active
● (set various ways)
● Obtain settings from server:
– http://<server>:<port>/<spring.application.name>/<profile>
– Spring Cloud clients do this automatically on startup

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Environment Repository – Organization Example
● Assume client application named “lucky-word” and profile
set to “northamerica”
– Spring client (automatically) requests
● /lucky-word/northamerica
Ignored (profile is set)

lucky-word-default.yml Included (second precedent)

lucky-word.yml
Included (first precedent)
lucky-word-northamerica.yml
lucky-word-europe.yml
lucky-word.properties Ignored (different profile set)
another-app.yml

Included (third precedent)

Ignored (different app)

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 .yml vs .properties
● Settings can be stored in either YAML or standard Java
properties files
– Both have advantages
– Config server will favor .yml over .properties

# .yml file
# .properties file
---
spring.config.name=aaa
spring:
spring.config.location=bbb
config:
spring.profiles.active=ccc
name: aaa
spring.profiles.include=ddd
location: bbb
some.other.property=fff
profiles:
active: ccc
include: ddd
some.other.property: fff

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Profiles
● YAML Format can hold multiple profiles in a single file

# lucky-word-east.properties # luckyword.yml
lucky-word: Clover ---
spring:
profiles: east
lucky-word: Clover
# lucky-word-west.properties ---
lucky-word: Rabbit's Foot spring:
profiles: west
lucky-word: Rabbit's Foot

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 What about non-Java / non-Spring
Clients?
● Spring Cloud Server exposes properties over simple HTTP
interface
– http://<server>:<port>/<spring.application.name>/<profile>
● Reasonably easy to call server from any application
– Just not as automated as Spring.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 What if the Config Server is Down?
● Spring Cloud Config Server should typically run on
several instances
– So downtime should be a non-issue
● Client application can control policy of how to handle
missing config server
– spring.cloud.config.failFast=true
– Default is false
● Config Server settings override local settings
– Strategy: provide local fallback settings.

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Summary
● Spring Cloud Config offers centralized, versioned
configuration for distributed applications
● Spring Cloud Config Server – Easy to Build

– Backed by repository (Git or native) with .yml or

.properties
● Spring Cloud Config Client –
– Accesses Server, adds another PropertySource

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015

 Exercise

Setup your own Spring Cloud

Config Server, Client, and Repository

Instructions: Student Files, Lab 3

Copyright Ken Krueger 2015