Deploying a Distributed Cache Cluster

Deploy a Distributed Cache Cluster Using the InterSystems Kubernetes Operator (IKO)

KubernetesOpens in a new tab is an open-source orchestration engine for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized workloads and services. You define the containerized services you want to deploy and the policies you want them to be governed by; Kubernetes transparently provides the needed resources in the most efficient way possible, repairs or restores the deployment when it deviates from spec, and scales automatically or on demand. The InterSystems Kubernetes Operator (IKO) extends the Kubernetes API with the IrisCluster custom resource, which can be deployed as an InterSystems IRIS sharded cluster, distributed cache cluster, or standalone instance, all optionally mirrored, on any Kubernetes platform.

The IKO isn’t required to deploy InterSystems IRIS under Kubernetes, but it greatly simplifies the process and adds InterSystems IRIS-specific cluster management capabilities to Kubernetes, enabling tasks like adding nodes to a cluster, which you would otherwise have to do manually by interacting directly with the instances.

For more information on using the IKO, see Using the InterSystems Kubernetes OperatorOpens in a new tab.

Deploy a Distributed Cache Cluster Using Configuration Merge

The configuration merge feature, available on Linux and UNIX® systems, lets you vary the configurations of InterSystems IRIS containers deployed from the same image, or local instances installed from the same kit, by simply applying the desired declarative configuration merge file to each instance in the deployment.

This merge file, which can also be applied when restarting an existing instance, updates an instance’s configuration parameter file (CPF), which contains most of its configuration settings; these settings are read from the CPF at every startup, including the first one after an instance is deployed. When you apply configuration merge during deployment, you in effect replace the default CPF provided with the instance with your own updated version.

Using configuration merge, you can deploy a distributed cache cluster by calling separate merge files for the data server and the application servers, deploying them sequentially.

The IKO, described above, incorporates the configuration merge feature.

For information about using configuration merge in general and to deploy a distributed cache cluster in particular, see Automating Configuration of InterSystems IRIS with Configuration MergeOpens in a new tab.

Preparing the Data Server

An InterSystems IRIS instance cannot actually operate as the data server in a distributed cache cluster until it is configured as such on the application servers. The procedure for preparing the instance to be a data server, however, includes one required action and two optional actions.

To prepare an instance to be a data server, navigate to the ECP Settings page by selecting System Administration on the Management Portal home page, then Configuration, then Connectivity, then ECP Settings, then do the following:

• In the This System as an ECP Data Server box on the right, enable the ECP service by clicking the Enable link for the service. This opens an Edit Service dialog for %Service_ECP; select Service Enabled and click Save to enable the service. (If the service is already enabled, as indicated by the presence of a Disable link in the box, go on to the next step.)

  Note:

  For a detailed explanation of InterSystems services, see Services.

• If you want multiple application servers to be able to connect simultaneously to the data server, in the This System as an ECP Data Server box, change the Maximum number of application servers setting to the number of application servers you want to configure, then click Save and restart the instance. (If the number of simultaneous application server connections becomes greater than the number you enter for this setting, the data server instance automatically restarts.)

  Note:

  The maximum number of application servers can also be set using the MaxServerConnOpens in a new tab setting in the configuration parameter file (CPF), including in a configuration merge fileOpens in a new tab on UNIX® and Linux platforms.

• The Time interval for Troubled state settings determines one of three timeouts used manage recovery of interrupted connections between application servers and the data server; leave it at the default of 60 until you have some data about the cluster’s operation over time. For more information on the ECP recovery timeouts, see ECP Recovery Protocol.

• To enable the use of TLS to secure connections from application servers, click the Set up SSL/TLS ‘%ECPServer’ link to create an ECP TLS configuration for the data server, then a ECP SSL/TLS support setting, as follows:

  • Required — An application server can connect only if Use SSL/TLS is selected for this data server.

  • Enabled — An application server can connect regardless of whether Use SSL/TLS is selected for this data server.

  • Disabled — An application server cannot connect if Use SSL/TLS is selected (default) for this data server.

  As described in Distributed Cache Cluster Security, TLS is one of several options for securing ECP communications. However, enabling TLS may have a significant negative impact on performance. When a cluster’s application servers and data server are located in the same data center, which provides optimal performance, the physical security of the data center alone may provide sufficient security for the cluster.

  For important information on enabling and using TLS in a distributed cache cluster, including authorization of secured application server connections on the data server, see Securing Application Server Connections to the Data Server with TLS.

The data server is now ready to accept connections from valid application servers.

Configuring an Application Server

Configuring an InterSystems IRIS instance as an application server in a distributed cache cluster involves two steps:

• Adding the data server instance as a data server on the application server instance.

• Adding the desired databases on the data server as remote databases on the application server.

To add the data server to the application server, do the following:

1. As described for the data server in Preparing the Data Server, navigate to the ECP Settings page; leave the settings on the This System as an ECP Application Server side set to the defaults.

2. If the ECP SSL/TLS support setting for the data server you are adding is Enabled or Required, click the Set up SSL/TLS ‘%ECPClient’ link to create an ECP TLS configuration for the application server. (You can also do this in the ECP Data Server dialog in a later step.) For more information, see the Use SSL/TLS setting in the next step.

3. Click Data Servers to display the ECP Data Servers page and click Add Server. In the ECP Data Server dialog, enter the following information for the data server:

   • Server Name — A descriptive name identifying the data server. (This name is limited to 64 characters.)

   • Host DNS Name or IP Address — Specify the DNS name of the data server’s host or its IP address (in dotted-decimal format or, if IPv6 is enabled, in colon-separated format). If you use the DNS name, it resolves to an actual IP address each time the application server initiates a connection to that data server host. For more information, see IPv6 Support.

     Important:

     When adding a mirror primary as a data server (see the Mirror Connection setting), do not enter the virtual IP address (VIP) of the mirror, but rather the DNS name or IP address of the current primary failover member.

   • IP Port — The port number defaults to 1972, the default InterSystems IRIS superserver (IP) port; change it as necessary to the superserver port of the InterSystems IRIS instance on the data server.

   • Mirror Connection — Select this check box if the data server is the primary failover member in a mirror. (See Configuring Application Server Connections to a Mirror for important information about configuring a mirror primary as a data server.)

   • Batch Mode — Select this check box if the server process for this data server should run in batch mode. In batch mode, the data server always loads blocks and caches them in batch level. However, if a block is sent back to the application server, it will be cached regularly.

   • Use SSL/TLS — Use this check box as follows:

     • If the ECP SSL/TLS support setting for the data server you are adding is Disabled, it does not matter whether you select this check box; TLS will not be not used to secure connections to the data server.

     • If the ECP SSL/TLS support setting for the data server you are adding is Enabled, select this check box to use TLS to secure connections to this data server; clear it to not use TLS.

     • If the ECP SSL/TLS support setting for the data server you are adding is Required, you must select this check box.

     If the ECP SSL/TLS support setting for the data server you are adding is Enabled or Required and you have not yet created a TLS configuration for the application server, click the Set up SSL/TLS ‘%ECPClient’ link to do so. For more information on using TLS in a distributed cache cluster, including authorization of secured application server connections on the data server, see Securing Application Server Connections to the Data Server with TLS.

4. Click Save. The data server appears in the data server list; you can remove or edit the data server definition, or change its status (see Monitoring Distributed Applications) using the available links. You can also view a list of all application servers connecting to a data server by going to the ECP Settings page on the data server and clicking the Application Servers button.

To add each desired database on the data server as a remote database on the application server, you must create a namespace on the application server and map it to that database, as follows:

1. Navigate to the Namespaces page by selecting System Administration on the Management Portal home page, then Configuration, then System Configuration, then Namespaces. Click Create New Namespace to display the New Namespace page.

2. Enter a name for the new namespace, which typically reflects the name of the remote database it is mapped to.

3. At The default database for Globals in this namespace is a, select Remote Database, then select Create New Database to open the Create Remote Database dialog. In this dialog,

   • Select the data server from the Remote Server drop-down.

   • Leave Remote directory set to Select directory from a list and select the data server database you want to map to the namespace using the Directory drop-down, which lists all of the database directories on the data server.

   • Enter a local name for the remote database; this typically reflects the name of the database on the data server, the local name of the data server as specified in the previous procedure, or both.

   • Click Finish to add the remote database and map it to the new namespace.

4. At The default database for Routines in this namespace is a, select Remote Database, then select the database you just created from the drop-down.

5. The namespace does not need to be interoperability-enabled; to save time, you can clear the Enable namespace for interoperability productions check box.

6. Select Save. The new namespace now appears in the list on the Namespaces list.

Once you have added a data server database as a remote database on the application server, applications can query that database through the namespace it is mapped to on the application server.

Securing Application Server Connections to a Data Server with TLS

If TLS is enabled on a data server, you can use it to secure connections from an application server to that data server. This protection includes X.509 certificate-based encryption. For detailed information about TLS and its use with InterSystems products, see InterSystems TLS Guide.

When configuring or editing a data server or at any time thereafter (see Preparing the Data Server), you can select Enabled or Required as the ECP SSL/TLS support setting, rather than the default Disabled. These settings control the options for use of the Use SSL/TLS check box, which secures connections to a data server with TLS, when adding a data server to an application server (see Configuring an Application Server) or editing an existing data server. These settings have the following effect:

• Disabled — The use of TLS for application server connections to this data server is disabled, even for an application server on which Use SSL/TLS is selected.

• Enabled — The use of TLS for application server connections is enabled on the data server; TLS is used for connections from application servers on which Use SSL/TLS is selected, and is not used for connections from application servers on which Use SSL/TLS is not selected.

• Required — The data server requires application server connections to use TLS; an application server can connect to the data server only if Use SSL/TLS is selected for the data server, in which case TLS is used for all connections.

There are three requirements for establishing a connection from an application server to a data server using TLS, as follows:

• The data server must have TLS connections enabled for superserver clients. To do this, on the data server, navigate to the system default superserver configuration page (System Administration > Security > Superservers) and select Enabled for the SSL/TLS support level setting. See Managing Superservers for more details.

• Both instances must have an ECP TLS configuration.

  For this reason, both sides of the ECP Settings page (System Administration > Configuration > Connectivity > ECP Settings) — This System as an ECP Application Server and This System as an ECP Data Server — include a Set Up SSL/TLS link, which you can use to create the appropriate ECP TLS configuration for the instance. To do so, follow this procedure:

  1. On the ECP Settings page, click Set up SSL/TLS ‘%ECPClient’ link on the application server side or the Set up SSL/TLS ‘%ECPServer’ link on the data server side.

  2. Complete the fields on the form in the Edit SSL/TLS Configurations for ECP dialog, These are analogous to those on the New SSL/TLS Configuration page, as described in Create or Edit a TLS Configuration. However, there are no Configuration Name, Description, or Enabled fields; also, for the private key password, this page allows you to enter or replace one (Enter new password), specify that none is to be used (Clear password), or leave an existing one as it is (Leave as is).

     Fields on this page are:

     • File containing trusted Certificate Authority X.509 certificate(s)

       The path and name of a file that contains the X.509 certificate(s) in PEM format of the Certificate Authority (CA) or Certificate Authorities that this configuration trusts. You can specify either an absolute path or a path relative to the install-dir/mgr/ directory. For detailed information about X.509 certificates and their generation and use, see InterSystems TLS Guide.

       Note:

       This file must include the certificate(s) that can be used to verify the X.509 certificates belonging to other mirror members. If the file includes multiple certificates, they must be in the correct order, as described in Establishing the Required Certificate Chain, with the current instance’s certificate first.

     • File containing this configuration's X.509 certificate

       The full location of the configuration’s own X.509 certificate(s), in PEM format. This can be specified as either an absolute or a relative path.

       Note:

       The certificate’s distinguished name (DN) must appear in the certificate’s subject field.

     • File containing associated private key

       The full location of the configuration’s private key file, specified as either an absolute or relative path.

     • Private key type

       The algorithm used to generate the private key, where valid options are DSA and RSA.

     • Password

       Select Enter new password when you are creating an ECP TLS configuration, so you can enter and confirm the password for the private key associated with the certificate.

     • Protocols

       Those communications protocols that the configuration considers valid; TLSv1.1, and TLSv1.2 are enabled by default.

     • Enabled ciphersuites

       The set of ciphersuites used to protect communications between the client and the server. Typically you can leave this at the default setting.

     Once you complete the form, click Save.

• An application server must be authorized on a data server before it can connect using TLS.

  The first time an application server attempts to connect to a data server using TLS, its SSL (TLS) computer name (the Subject Distinguished Name from its X.509 certificate) and the IP address of its host are displayed in a list of pending ECP application servers to be authorized or rejected on the data server’s Application Servers page (System Administration > Configuration > Connectivity > ECP Settings > Application Servers). Use the Authorize and Reject links to take action on requests in the list. (If there are no pending requests, the list does not display.)

  If one or more application servers have been authorized to connect using TLS, their SSL (TLS) computer names are displayed in a list of authorized SSL computer names for ECP application servers on the Application Servers page. You can use the Delete link to cancel the authorization. (If there are no authorized application servers, the list does not display.)

Restricting Incoming Access to a Data Server

By default, any InterSystems IRIS instance on which the data server instance is configured as a data server (as described in the previous section) can connect to the data server. However, you can restrict which instances can act as application servers for the data server by specifying the hosts from which incoming connections are allowed; if you do this, hosts not explicitly listed cannot connect to the data server. Do this by performing the following steps on the data server:

1. On the Services page (from the portal home page, select Security and then Services), click %Service_ECP. The Edit Service dialog displays.

2. By default, the Allowed Incoming Connections box is empty, which means any application server can connect to this instance if the ECP service is enabled; click Add and enter a single IP address (such as 192.9.202.55) or fully-qualified domain name (such as mycomputer.myorg.com), or a range of IP addresses (for example,8.61.202–210.* or 18.68.*.*). Once there are one or more entries on the list and you click Save in the Edit Service dialog, only the hosts specified by those entries can connect.

You can always access the list as described and use a Delete to delete the host from the list or an Edit link to specify the roles associated with the host, as described in Controlling Access with Roles and Privileges.

Controlling Access to Databases with Roles and Privileges

InterSystems uses a security model in which assets, including databases, are assigned to resources, and resources are assigned permissions, such as read and write. A combination of a resource and a permission is called a privilege. Privileges are assigned to roles, to which users can belong. In this way, roles are used to control user access to resources. For information about this model, see Authorization: Controlling User Access.

To be granted access to a database on the data server, the role held by the user initiating the process on the application server and the role set for the ECP connection on the data server must both include permissions for the same resource representing that database. For example, if a user belongs to a role on an application server that grants the privilege of read permission for a particular database resource, and the role set for the ECP connection on the data server also includes this privilege, the user can read data from the database on the application server.

By default, InterSystems IRIS grants ECP connections on the data server the %All privilege when the data server runs on behalf of an application server. This means that whatever privileges the user on the application server has are matched on the data server, and access is therefore controlled only on the application server. For example, a user on the application server who has privileges only for the %DB_USER resource but not the %DB_IRISLIB resource can access data in the USER database on the data server, but attempting to access the IRISLIB database on the data server results in a <PROTECT> error. If a different user on the application server has privileges for the %DB_IRISLIB resource, the IRISLIB database is available to that user.

However, you can also restrict the roles available to ECP connections on the data server based on the application server host. For example, on the data server you can specify that when interacting with a specific application server, the only available role is %DB_USER. In this case, users on the application server granted the %DB_USER role can access the USER database on the data server, but no users on the application server can access any other database on the data server regardless of the roles they are granted.

The following are exceptions to this behavior:

• InterSystems IRIS always grants the data server the %DB_IRISSYS role since it requires Read access to the IRISSYS database to run. This means that a user on an application server with %DB_IRISSYS can access the IRISSYS database on the data server.

  To prevent a user on the application server from having access to the IRISSYS database on the data server, there are two options:

  • Do not grant the user privileges for the %DB_IRISSYS resource.

  • On the data server, change the name of the resource for the IRISSYS database to something other than %DB_IRISSYS, making sure that the user on the application server has no privileges for that resource.

• If the data server has any public resources, they are available to any user on the ECP application server, regardless of either the roles held on the application server or the roles configured for the ECP connection.

To specify the available roles for ECP connections from a specific application server on the data server, do the following:

1. Go to the Services page (from the portal home page, select Security and then Services) and click %Service_ECP to display the Edit Service dialog.

2. Click the Edit link for the application server host you want to restrict to display the Select Roles area.

3. To specify roles for the host, select roles from those listed under Available and click the right arrow to add them to the Selected list.

4. To remove roles from the Selected list, select them and then click the left arrow.

5. To add all roles to the Selected list, click the double right arrow; to remove all roles from the Selected list, click the double left arrow.

6. Click Save to associate the roles with the IP address.

By default, a listed host holds the %All role, but if you specify one or more other roles, these roles are the only roles that the connection holds. Therefore, a connection from a host or IP range with the %Operator role has only the privileges associated with that role, while a connection from a host with no associated roles (and therefore %All) has all privileges.

Changes to the roles available to application server hosts and to the public permissions on resources on the data server require a restart of InterSystems IRIS before taking effect.

Security-Related Error Reporting

The behavior of security-related error reporting with ECP varies depending on whether the check fails on the application server or the data server and the type of operation:

• If the check fails on the application server, there is an immediate <PROTECT> error.

• For synchronous operations on the data server, there is an immediate <PROTECT> error.

• For asynchronous operations on the data server, there is a possibly delayed <NETWORK DATA UPDATE FAILED> error. This includes Set operations.