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commit 5177c3e7146c56dd1dd5fd748aad8a21233ac4b7
Author: Andrea Cosentino <anco...@gmail.com>
AuthorDate: Thu Mar 24 12:27:22 2022 +0100
Added Blog post about Secrets Properties Functions introduced in Camel
3.16.0
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+---
+title: "Camel 3.16.0 new feature: Load properties from Vault/Secrets cloud
services"
+date: 2022-03-24
+draft: false
+authors: ["oscerd"]
+categories: ["Camel"]
+preview: "How to retrieve properties from a Cloud vault service"
+---
+
+In the last weeks, together with Claus, we've been working on a new feature:
loading properties from Vault/Secrets cloud services.
+
+It will arrive with Camel 3.16.0, currently on vote and to be released by the
end of this week (24/3).
+
+This post introduces the new features and provide some examples.
+
+## Secrets Management in Camel
+
+In the past there were many discussions around the possibility of managing
secrets in Camel through Vault Services.
+
+The hidden troubles are a lot when we talk about Secrets Management:
+- Ability to automatically retrieve secrets after a secret rotation has been
completed
+- Writing the function (script, serverless function etc.) to operate the
rotation
+- Being notified once a rotation happens
+
+We choose to start from the beginning: retrieve secrets from a vault service
and use them as properties in the Camel configuration.
+
+### Supported Services
+
+In 3.16.0 we're supporting two of the main services available in the cloud
space:
+
+- AWS Secret Manager
+- Google Cloud Secret Manager
+
+### How it works
+
+The Vault feature works by specifying a particular prefix while using the
Properties component.
+
+For example for AWS:
+
+```
+<camelContext>
+ <route>
+ <from uri="direct:start"/>
+ <log message="Username is {{aws:username}}"/>
+ </route>
+</camelContext>
+```
+
+or
+
+```
+<camelContext>
+ <route>
+ <from uri="direct:start"/>
+ <log message="Username is {{gcp:username}}"/>
+ </route>
+</camelContext>
+```
+
+This notation will allow to run the following workflow while starting a camel
route:
+- Connect and authenticate to AWS Secret Manager (or GCP)
+- Retrieve the value related to the secret named `username`
+- Substitute the property with the secret value just returned
+
+For using the particular Properties Function the two requirements are adding
the `camel-aws-secret-manager` JAR for using the AWS one or
+adding the `camel-google-secret-manager` JAR for GCP and setting up the
credentials to access the cloud service.
+
+### Setting up the Properties Function
+
+Each of the Secret management cloud services require different parameters to
complete authentication and authorization.
+
+For both the Properties Functions currently available we provide two different
approaches:
+- Environment variables
+- Main Configuration properties
+
+#### AWS Secrets Manager
+
+The AWS Secret Manager Properties Function configurations through enviroment
variables are the following:
+
+```
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_AWS_USE_DEFAULT_CREDENTIALS_PROVIDER=accessKey
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_AWS_SECRET_KEY=secretKey
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_AWS_REGION=region
+```
+
+While as Main Configuration properties it is possible to define the
credentials through the following:
+
+```
+camel.vault.aws.accessKey = accessKey
+camel.vault.aws.secretKey = secretKey
+camel.vault.aws.region = region
+```
+
+The above examples are not considering the Default Credentials Provider chain
coming from AWS SDK, but the Properties Function can be configured even in that
way. This is how to do that through enviroment variables:
+
+```
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_AWS_USE_DEFAULT_CREDENTIALS_PROVIDER=true
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_AWS_REGION=region
+```
+
+This could be done even with main configuration properties:
+
+```
+camel.vault.aws.defaultCredentialsProvider = true
+camel.vault.aws.region = region
+```
+
+#### GCP Secret Manager
+
+The GCP Secret Manager Properties Function configurations through enviroment
variables are the following:
+
+```
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY=file:////path/to/service.accountkey
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_GCP_PROJECT_ID=projectId
+```
+
+While as Main Configuration properties it is possible to define the
credentials through the following:
+
+```
+camel.vault.gcp.serviceAccountKey = accessKey
+camel.vault.gcp.projectId = secretKey
+```
+
+The above examples are not considering the Default Credentials Provider coming
from GCP, but the Properties Function can be configured even in that way. This
is how to do that through enviroment variables:
+
+```
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_GCP_USE_DEFAULT_INSTANCE=true
+export $CAMEL_VAULT_GCP_PROJECT_ID=projectId
+```
+
+This could be done even with main configuration properties:
+
+```
+camel.vault.gcp.useDefaultInstance = true
+camel.vault.aws.projectId = region
+```
+
+### Multi fields Secrets
+
+Some of the Secret manager services allow users to create multiple fields in a
secret, like for example:
+
+```
+{
+ "username": "admin",
+ "password": "password123",
+ "engine": "postgres",
+ "host": "127.0.0.1",
+ "port": "3128",
+ "dbname": "db"
+}
+```
+
+Usually the format of the secret will be a JSON. With the Properties Function
related to secrets we can retrieve a single value of the secret and use it. As
example:
+
+You're able to do get single secret value in your route, like for example:
+
+```
+<camelContext>
+ <route>
+ <from uri="direct:start"/>
+ <log message="Username is {{gcp:database/username}}"/>
+ </route>
+</camelContext>
+```
+
+In this route the property will be replaced by the field `username` of the
value of the secret named `database`.
+
+### Default Values
+
+It is possible to fallback to a default value. Taking back the example above,
we could use:
+
+You could specify a default value in case the particular field of secret is
not present on GCP Secret Manager:
+
+```
+<camelContext>
+ <route>
+ <from uri="direct:start"/>
+ <log message="Username is {{gcp:database/username:admin}}"/>
+ </route>
+</camelContext>
+```
+
+And in case something is not working, like authentication fails, secret
doesn't exists or service is down, the value returned will be `admin`.
+
+### Future
+
+In the next Camel version we are planning to work on more Secret Management
Services. In particular we want to add two main components to the list:
+
+- Azure Key Vault
+- Hashicorp Vault
+
+Follow the Camel's development to know more about the work in progress.
+
+Use the Properties Functions in your projects and give us feedback, once the
release 3.16.0 will be out (it's on vote in these days).
+
+Stay tuned!
+
