This documentation details how secrets are stored and managed in production for the sourcegraph/zoekt project. Understanding secret management is crucial for secure application deployment, and this guide prepares expert developers to effectively handle such requirements.

Overview

sourcegraph/zoekt leverages Go modules and Alpine-based Docker images for building its production environment. Handling secrets in this context typically involves configuring environment variables or external secret management systems to ensure sensitive data is not hard-coded into the application.

Configuring Secrets in Docker

Secrets can be managed via environment variables in the Dockerfile. Below is a step-by-step guide to setting environment variables within the Docker container, using the Dockerfile provided.

Step 1: Define Environment Variables

In the Dockerfile, you can define environment variables during the build process. For instance, sensitive information such as API keys could be passed as build arguments:

ARG MY_SECRET
ENV MY_SECRET=${MY_SECRET}

In this example, MY_SECRET will be accessible within the container environment and can be utilized by the application.

Step 2: Build the Docker Image

When building the Docker image, pass the secrets as arguments. You would typically run:

docker build --build-arg MY_SECRET=your_secret_value -t my-zoekt-image .

In this command, the secret value will be securely passed into the Docker build context.

Step 3: Access Secret in Code

Once the environment variable is set, access it in the Go application:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "os"
)

func main() {
    // Retrieve the secret from the environment variable
    mySecret := os.Getenv("MY_SECRET")
    if mySecret == "" {
        fmt.Println("MY_SECRET is not set")
        return
    }

    fmt.Printf("The secret is: %s\n", mySecret)
}

This code snippet demonstrates how to retrieve the secret from the environment variable within the Go application.

Runtime Secret Management

While build-time configurations are useful, it is often necessary to manage secrets at runtime for increased security.

Step 4: Utilize a Secrets Management Tool

Using a dedicated secrets management tool can enhance security. For example, tools like HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or Azure Key Vault enable secure retrieval of secrets at runtime. Below is an example of how to integrate with HashiCorp Vault:

1. Retrieve Secret during Application Startup

   Within your Go application, you can use the vault API to access secrets securely:

   package main
   
   import (
       "fmt"
       "net/http"
       "os"
   
       "github.com/hashicorp/vault/api"
   )
   
   func main() {
       client, err := api.NewClient(api.DefaultConfig())
       if err != nil {
           fmt.Printf("Error creating Vault client: %v\n", err)
           return
       }
   
       // Assuming the token is set as an environment variable
       client.SetToken(os.Getenv("VAULT_TOKEN"))
   
       secret, err := client.Logical().Read("secret/my-secret")
       if err != nil {
           fmt.Printf("Error reading secret: %v\n", err)
           return
       }
   
       value := secret.Data["value"].(string)
       fmt.Printf("Retrieved secret value: %s\n", value)
   }
   

2. Configure Environment Variables

   Before running the application, ensure the Vault token is set:

   export VAULT_TOKEN=my_vault_token
   

This integration ensures that sensitive information is accessed securely and is never hardcoded within the application’s source.

Conclusion

Managing secrets is a critical component of building secure applications with sourcegraph/zoekt. By defining environment variables within the Dockerfile and utilizing secrets management tools during runtime, developers can ensure that sensitive information is handled responsibly and securely.

Refer to the original Dockerfile for additional context and modifications necessary for your environment.

Sources:

• Dockerfile provided in the documentation excerpt.