README.md

Dracan example usage on k8s alike systems

Concept

Dracan is a middleware service designed to operate between external Kubernetes Ingress endpoints and internal services within a Kubernetes cluster. It intercepts all incoming traffic and applies validation, request limiting, and URL/path restrictions before forwarding requests to designated internal services.

Quick Setup Guide

Prerequisites

• Kubernetes Cluster: Ensure a Kubernetes environment with Ingress Controller support (e.g., NGINX Ingress).
• Docker Image: Build the dracan image and push it to a registry accessible by the cluster.

Steps

1. Prepare required Configuration Files

   • proxy_config.json: Configure the internal cluster service URL where requests should be proxied after validation.
   • rules_config.json: Define allowed methods, JSON schema, URI restrictions, rate limits, and payload size limits.

2. Create ConfigMaps

   • Create ConfigMaps from the JSON configuration files to mount them as volumes in the Dracan deployment.

   kubectl apply -f proxy-config-configmap.yaml
   kubectl apply -f rules-config-configmap.yaml
   kubectl apply -f dracan-env.yaml
   # or in one file
   kubectl apply -f configmaps.yaml # present in example

3. Deploy Dracan

   • Apply the deployment.yaml and service.yaml files to deploy Dracan and service for it:

   kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
   kubectl apply -f service.yaml
   

4. Set Up Ingress

   • Configure Ingress to route traffic from your application URL to Dracan:

   apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
   kind: Ingress
   metadata:
     name: <your_app_ingress>
   spec:
     rules:
     - host: <your_app_url>
       http:
         paths:
         - path: /
           pathType: Prefix
           backend:
             service:
               name: dracan-service # Here change this Ingress to point to Dracan Service
               port:
                 number: 5000

   • Replace your_app_url with your public-facing domain or subdomain.
   • In proxy_config.json insert k8s internal DNS for service of your application, for example app_name.namespace.svc.cluster.local, correct port number and path on which service is listening (if applicable).

Usage

After deployment:

• Dracan listens at your_app_url, intercepting all incoming requests.
• Based on the rules_config.json configuration, Dracan validates requests, limits rates, and restricts URIs before forwarding them to the internal application.
• Requests not conforming to rules are rejected with appropriate error responses.

Dracan’s role as middleware ensures all requests are safe and compliant before reaching your application services.