Configuring ColdFusion Docker containers through environment variables

Containers have become the cornerstone of modern development, but hardcoded configurations can complicate deployment and limit their usefulness. There’s no need to lock yourself in to local-only development, clutter your deployment pipeline with multiple configurations, or worst of all … expose secret keys and passwords in your git repos!

Let’s discover together how we can create flexible configurations, distribute our projects reliably and securely among a myriad of environments and throughout our application’s lifecycle. We’ll take a look at the different environment variables used in Docker images for Adobe ColdFusion and Commandbox. We'll inspect how they are used in open source projects like Masa CMS. You'll discover how to create some for your own projects. And we'll discover how to configure them alongside your containers in AWS, GCP and Azure.

Transcript

1. CONFIGURING COLDFUSION DOCKER CONTAINERS THROUGH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES GUUST NIEUWENHUIS
2. ABOUT ME Guust Nieuwenhuis Managing Partner @ We Are North Full Stack Web Wizard Masa CMS Born in The Netherlands Living in Belgium Football coach Mountainbiker
3. CONFIGURING COLDFUSION DOCKER CONTAINERS THROUGH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES GUUST NIEUWENHUIS
4. 12FACTOR.NET The twelve-factor app is a methodology for building software-as-a-service apps
5. https://12factor.net/
6. I. Codebase II. Dependencies III. Config IV. Backing services V. Build, release, run VI. Processes VII. Port binding VIII. Concurrency IX. Disposability X. Dev/prod parity XI. Logs XII. Admin processes
7. I. Codebase II. Dependencies III. Config IV. Backing services V. Build, release, run VI. Processes VII. Port binding VIII. Concurrency IX. Disposability X. Dev/prod parity XI. Logs XII. Admin processes
8. STORE CONFIG IN THE ENVIRONMENT An app’s con fi g is everything that is likely to vary between deploys (staging, production, developer environments, etc)
10. I. Codebase II. Dependencies III. Config IV. Backing services V. Build, release, run VI. Processes VII. Port binding VIII. Concurrency IX. Disposability X. Dev/prod parity XI. Logs XII. Admin processes
11. Environment variables
12. A VARIABLE WHOSE VALUE IS SET OUTSIDE THE APPLICATION AND AFFECTS THE WAY APPLICATIONS BEHAVE Since 1979
13. $ printenv __CFBundleIdentifier=com.apple.Terminal TMPDIR=/var/folders/39/dlwg4phj09508hq4d8zhrs600000gn/T/ XPC_FLAGS=0x0 LaunchInstanceID=7B6325E4-B6DB-4A0B-8CC9-1FC70EECBAD7 TERM=xterm-256color SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.055kmmIwsv/Listeners SECURITYSESSIONID=186a6 XPC_SERVICE_NAME=0 TERM_PROGRAM=Apple_Terminal TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION=447 PWD=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis SHLVL=2 SHELL=/bin/zsh HOME=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis LOGNAME=guustnieuwenhuis USER=guustnieuwenhuis PATH=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis/.gem/ruby/3.0.0/bin: OLDPWD=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis LC_CTYPE=UTF-8 _=/usr/bin/printenv
14. $ printenv HOME HOME=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis
15. $ echo $HOME HOME=/Users/guustnieuwenhuis
16. $ cat .env REACT_APP_API_KEY=your-development-api-key REACT_APP_DATABASE_URL=https://your-development-database.com REACT_APP_PROJECT_ID=your-development-project-id
17. Docker environment variables
18. Docker build Docker run Docker compose
19. $ docker build -t app --build-arg VERSION=1.0 . [+] Building 0.0s (5/5) FINISHED => [internal] load .dockerignore => => transferring context: 2B => [internal] load build definition from Dockerfile => => transferring dockerfile: 147B => [internal] load metadata for docker.io/adobecoldfusion/coldfusion:latest => CACHED [1/1] FROM docker.io/adobecoldfusion/coldfusion => exporting to image => => exporting layers => => writing image sha256:5afe3a1890d670e183df27e6a9acc5da23c1e4da9a93c8d09fb957b7351fe59d => => naming to docker.io/library/app
20. $ docker build -t app --build-arg VERSION=${BITBUCKET_TAG} . [+] Building 0.0s (5/5) FINISHED => [internal] load .dockerignore => => transferring context: 2B => [internal] load build definition from Dockerfile => => transferring dockerfile: 147B => [internal] load metadata for docker.io/adobecoldfusion/coldfusion:latest => CACHED [1/1] FROM docker.io/adobecoldfusion/coldfusion => exporting to image => => exporting layers => => writing image sha256:5afe3a1890d670e183df27e6a9acc5da23c1e4da9a93c8d09fb957b7351fe59d => => naming to docker.io/library/app
21. FROM adobecoldfusion/coldfusion ENV VERSION=${VERSION} Docker fi le
22. $ docker run -p 80:8500 -e acceptEULA=YES adobecoldfusion/coldfusion Updating webroot to /app Configuring virtual directories Skipping password updation Skipping language updation Serial Key: Not Provided Previous Serial Key: Not Provided Starting ColdFusion Starting ColdFusion 2023 server ... ====================================================================== ColdFusion 2023 server has been started. ColdFusion 2023 will write logs to /opt/coldfusion/cfusion/bin/../logs/coldfusion-out.log ======================================================================
23. $ docker run -p 80:8500 --env acceptEULA=YES adobecoldfusion/coldfusion Updating webroot to /app Configuring virtual directories Skipping password updation Skipping language updation Serial Key: Not Provided Previous Serial Key: Not Provided Starting ColdFusion Starting ColdFusion 2023 server ... ====================================================================== ColdFusion 2023 server has been started. ColdFusion 2023 will write logs to /opt/coldfusion/cfusion/bin/../logs/coldfusion-out.log ======================================================================
24. $ docker run -p 80:8500 --env-file ./.env adobecoldfusion/coldfusion Updating webroot to /app Configuring virtual directories Skipping password updation Skipping language updation Serial Key: Not Provided Previous Serial Key: Not Provided Starting ColdFusion Starting ColdFusion 2023 server ... ====================================================================== ColdFusion 2023 server has been started. ColdFusion 2023 will write logs to /opt/coldfusion/cfusion/bin/../logs/coldfusion-out.log ======================================================================
25. $ cat .env acceptEULA=YES
26. version: "3.7" services: app: image: adobecoldfusion/coldfusion environment: - acceptEULA=YES docker-compose.yml
27. version: "3.7" services: app: image: adobecoldfusion/coldfusion env_file: ./.env docker-compose.yml
28. Environment variables precedence 1. Set using docker compose run -e in the CLI 2. Substituted from your shell 3. Set using the environment attribute in the Compose file 4. Use of the --env-file argument in the CLI 5. Use of the env_file attribute in the Compose file 6. Set using an .env file placed at base of your project directory 7. Set in a container image in the ENV directive. Having any ARG or ENV setting in a Dockerfile evaluates only if there is no Docker Compose entry for environment, env_file or run --env.
29. Configuring Adobe CF
30. https://helpx.adobe.com/in/coldfusion/using/docker-images-coldfusion.html
31. Required ENV Variables: acceptEULA=YES Optional ENV variables: serial=<ColdFusion Serial Key> previousSerial=<ColdFusion Previous Serial Key (Upgrade)> password=<Password> enableSecurePro fi le=<true/false(default)> con fi gureExternalSessions=<true/false(default)> externalSessionsHost=<Redis Host (Default:localhost)> externalSessionsPort=<Redis Port (Default:6379)> externalSessionsPassword=<Redis Password (Default:Empty)> con fi gureExternalAddons=<true/false(default)> addonsHost=<Addon Container Host (Default: localhost)> addonsPort=<Addon Container Port (Default: 8993)> addonsUsername=<Solr username (Default: admin)> addonsPassword=<Solr password (Default: admin)> addonsPDFServiceName=<PDF Service Name (Default: addonsContainer)> addonsPDFSSL=<true/false(default)> setupScript=<CFM page to be invoked on startup. Must be present in the webroot, /app> setupScriptDelete=<true/false(default) Auto delete setupScript post execution> language=<ja/en (Default: en)> installModules=<Comma delimited list of modules to be installed by CF Package Manager,accepts 'all' for installing all the available packages> importCFSettings=<A JSON fi le containing the CF Settings to be imported . Must be present in the webroot, /app> importCFSettingsPassphrase=<Passphrase to import CF settings from an encrypted JSON fi le.> importModules=<A text fi le containing packages to be imported. Must be present in the webroot, /app>
32. version: "3.7" services: app: image: adobecoldfusion/coldfusion environment: docker-compose.yml - acceptEULA=YES - serial=xxx - password=adminpassword - enableSecureProfile=true
33. Configuring Commandbox
34. https://hub.docker.com/r/ortussolutions/commandbox/
35. version: "3.7" services: app: image: ortussolutions/commandbox environment: docker-compose.yml - BOX_SERVER_APP_CFENGINE=adobe@2023 - BOX_SERVER_PROFILE=development - BOX_SERVER_CFCONFIGFILE=/config/cfconfig.json
36. { "adminPassword" : “${ADMIN_PASSWORD}” } cfcon fi g.json
37. https://www.forgebox.io/view/commandbox-dotenv
38. Configuring Masa CMS
39. https://docs.masacms.com/getting-started/con fi guration/env-variables/
40. All settings.ini.cfm settings Format: MURA_{setting}
41. <cfabort/> [settings] appreloadkey=appreload mode=production [production] admindir=/admin admindomain= adminemail= adminssl=false allowautoupdates=true allowedIndexFiles=index.cfm,index.json,index.html allowlocalfiles=false alwaysUseLocalRenderer=false assetdir=/s3assets assetpath= autodiscoverplugins=true autoresetpasswords=false autoupdateurl=https://github.com/MasaCMS/MasaCMS/archive/main.zip bcryptpasswords=true clientmanagement=false settings.ini.cfm
42. version: "3.7" services: app: image: adobecoldfusion/coldfusion environment: docker-compose.yml - MURA_ADMIN_USERNAME: admin - MURA_ADMIN_PASSWORD: admin - MURA_ADMINEMAIL: example@localhost.com - MURA_APPRELOADKEY: appreload - MURA_SITEIDINURLS: "true" - MURA_INDEXFILEINURLS: "true" - MURA_DBTYPE: mysql - MURA_DBCONNECTIONSTRING: “jdbc:mysql://masa_mysql:3306/masadb" - MURA_DBCLASS: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver - MURA_DBUSERNAME: root - MURA_DBPASSWORD: rootpassword - MURA_DBHOST: masa_mysql - MURA_DBPORT: 3306
43. Configuring own apps
44. server.system.environment
45. version: "3.7" services: docker-compose.yml mysql: image: mysql:latest environment: MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword MYSQL_DATABASE: testdb app: image: adobecoldfusion/coldfusion environment: - DBTYPE: mysql - DBCLASS: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver - DBCONNECTIONSTRING: "jdbc:mysql://mysql:3306/testdb" - DBUSERNAME: root - DBPASSWORD: rootpassword
46. component { this.datasources = { testdb = { driver = server.system.environment.DBTYPE, class = server.system.environment.DBCLASS, url = server.system.environment.DBCONNECTIONSTRING, username = server.system.environment.DBUSERNAME, password = server.system.environment.DBPASSWORD } }; } Application.cfc
47. Configuring on AWS
50. TaskDefinition: Type: AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition Properties: NetworkMode: 'awsvpc' Cpu: '256' Memory: '512' ExecutionRoleArn: !Ref TaskRole TaskRoleArn: !Ref TaskRole RequiresCompatibilities: - FARGATE ContainerDefinitions: - Name: "acfengine" Image: "adobecoldfusion/coldfusion" Environment: - Name: "acceptEULA" Value: "YES" - Name: "serial" Value: "ssm://my.acf.serial" AWS CloudFormation
51. const containerDefinitionProps: ecs.ContainerDefinitionProps = { image: containerImage, taskDefinition: taskDefinition, environment: { acceptEULA: 'YES', }, secrets: { serial: EcsSecret.fromSsmParameter( StringParameter.fromStringParameterAttributes( stack, "serial", { parameterName: `/ecs/ecd/serial`, } ) ), }; AWS CDK
52. Configuring on GCP
55. Configuring on Azure
57. CONFIGURING COLDFUSION DOCKER CONTAINERS THROUGH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES guust@wearenorth.eu https://www.linkedin.com/in/guustnieuwenhuis 
 www.wearenorth.eu