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Infrastructure prerequisites

The Integration Designer service requires the following components to be set up before it can be started:
  • PostgreSQL - version 13 or higher for managing advancing data source
  • MongoDB - version 4.4 or higher for managing integration and runtime data
  • Kafka - version 2.8 or higher for event-driven communication between services
  • OAuth2 Authentication - Ensure a Keycloak server or compatible OAuth2 authorization server is configured

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Dependencies

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Configuration

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Config profile

  • CONFIG_PROFILE - This environment variable must be set explicitly and exactly to ensure that no unintended profiles are loaded by mistake. The value of this variable should represent a minimal configuration state, relying only on defaults specified in the application.properties file of the application.
Example: 
- name: CONFIG_PROFILE
  value: k8stemplate_v2,kafka-auth

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Database configuration

Integration Designer uses both PostgreSQL and MongoDB for managing advancing data and integration information. Configure these database connections with the following environment variables:

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PostgreSQL (Advancing data source)

  • ADVANCING_DATASOURCE_URL - Database URL for the advancing data source in PostgreSQL
  • ADVANCING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME - Username for the advancing data source in PostgreSQL
  • ADVANCING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD - The password for the advancing data source in PostgreSQL.
    • Details: Must match the credentials configured in the PostgreSQL database.
  • ADVANCING_DATASOURCE_DRIVER_CLASS_NAME - The database driver class name for the advancing data source
    • Details: Required to ensure proper database connectivity. This value can be overridden for other databases, such as Oracle.
      • For PostgreSQL: org.postgresql.Driver
      • For Oracle: oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver

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MongoDB (Integration data and runtime data)

Integration Designer requires two MongoDB databases for managing integration-specific data and runtime data. The integration-designer database is dedicated to Integration Designer, while the shared app-runtime database supports multiple services.
  • Integration Designer Database (integration-designer): Stores data specific to Integration Designer, such as integration configurations, metadata, and other operational data.
  • Shared Runtime Database (app-runtime): Shared across multiple services, this database manages runtime data essential for integration and data flow execution.
To connect these MongoDB databases, configure the following environment variables:
  • SPRING_DATA_MONGODB_URI- URI for connecting to the Integration Designer MongoDB instance
    • Format: mongodb://${DB_USERNAME}:${DB_PASSWORD}@<host1>,<host2>,<arbiter-host>:<port>/${DB_NAME}?retryWrites=false
  • DB_USERNAME: integration-designer
  • DB_NAME: integration-designer
  • DB_PASSWORD: DB password.
  • SPRING_DATA_MONGODB_STORAGE - Specifies the storage type used for the Runtime MongoDB instance (Azure environments only)
    • Possible Values: mongodb, cosmosdb
    • Default Value: mongodb
Integration Designer requires a runtime connection to function correctly. Starting the service without a configured and active runtime MongoDB connection is not supported.
Enable Runtime MongoDB:
  • SPRING_DATA_MONGODB_RUNTIME_URI - URI for connecting to MongoDB for Runtime MongoDB (app-runtime)
    • Format: SPRING_DATA_MONGODB_RUNTIME_URI : mongodb://${RUNTIME_DB_USERNAME}:${RUNTIME_DB_PASSWORD}@<host1>,<host2>,<arbiter-host>:<port>/${RUNTIME_DB_NAME}?retryWrites=false
  • RUNTIME_DB_USERNAME: app-runtime
  • RUNTIME_DB_NAME: app-runtime
  • RUNTIME_DB_PASSWORD: DB password.

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Dynamic configuration parameters retrieval

The Integration Designer supports dynamic retrieval of configuration parameters from Kubernetes secrets and ConfigMaps. This feature enables secure management of environment variables and sensitive configuration data without hardcoding values in the application.
Environment variableDescriptionDefault valuePossible values
FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_VARS_PROVIDER_TYPEProvider type for environment variablesk8sk8s
FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_SECRETS_PROVIDER_TYPEProvider type for secretsk8sk8s
FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_SECRETS_0First Kubernetes secret nameflowx-rtAny valid Kubernetes secret name
FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_CONFIGMAPS_0First Kubernetes ConfigMap nameflowx-rtAny valid Kubernetes ConfigMap name
You can configure multiple secrets and ConfigMaps by incrementing the index number (e.g., FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_SECRETS_1, FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_CONFIGMAPS_1). Values are overridden based on the order in which the maps are defined.

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Kubernetes resources setup

To use this configuration, create the following resources in the cluster namespace where the platform operates:
  • Secret: Name specified in FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_SECRETS_0 (default: flowx-rt)
  • ConfigMap: Name specified in FLOWX_CONFIG_PARAMS_K8S_CONFIGMAPS_0 (default: flowx-rt)

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Configuring Kafka

To configure Kafka for Integration Designer, set the following environment variables. This configuration includes naming patterns, consumer group settings, and retry intervals for authentication exceptions.

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General Kafka configuration

  • SPRING_KAFKA_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS - Address of the Kafka server in the format host:port
  • KAFKA_TOPIC_NAMING_ENVIRONMENT - Environment-specific suffix for Kafka topics
  • FLOWX_WORKFLOW_CREATETOPICS - To automatically create kafka topics for development environments
    • When set to true: In development environments, where Kafka topics may need to be created automatically, this configuration can be enabled (flowx.workflow.createTopics: true). This allows for the automatic creation of “in” and “out” topics when workflows are created, eliminating the need to wait for topic creation at runtime.
    • Default setting (false): In production or controlled environments, where automated topic creation is not desired, this setting remains false to prevent unintended Kafka topic creation.

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Kafka consumer settings

  • KAFKA_CONSUMER_GROUP_ID_START_WORKFLOWS - Consumer group ID for starting workflows
    • Default Value: start-workflows-group
  • KAFKA_CONSUMER_THREADS_START_WORKFLOWS - Number of Kafka consumer threads for starting workflows
    • Default Value: 3
  • KAFKA_AUTH_EXCEPTION_RETRY_INTERVAL - Interval (in seconds) between retries after an AuthorizationException
    • Default Value: 10

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Kafka topic naming structure

The Kafka topics for Integration Designer use a structured naming convention with dynamic components, allowing for easy integration across environments. This setup defines separators, environment identifiers, and specific naming patterns for both engine and integration-related messages.

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Topic naming components

ComponentDescriptionDefault Value
packagePackage identifier for namespaceai.flowx.
environmentEnvironment identifierdev.
versionVersion identifier for topic compatibility.v1
separatorPrimary separator for components.
separator2Secondary separator for additional distinction-
prefixCombines package and environment as a topic prefix${kafka.topic.naming.package}${kafka.topic.naming.environment}
suffixAppends version to the end of the topic name${kafka.topic.naming.version}
Predefined patterns for services
  • Engine Receive Pattern - kafka.topic.naming.engineReceivePattern
    • Pattern: engine${dot}receive${dot}
    • Example Topic Prefix: ai.flowx.dev.engine.receive.
  • Integration Receive Pattern - kafka.topic.naming.integrationReceivePattern
    • Pattern: integration${dot}receive${dot}
    • Example Topic Prefix: ai.flowx.dev.integration.receive.

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Kafka topics

  • Events Gateway - Outgoing Messages
    • Topic: ${kafka.topic.naming.prefix}eventsgateway${dot}receive${dot}workflowinstances${kafka.topic.naming.suffix}
    • Purpose: Topic for outgoing workflow instance messages from the events gateway
    • Example Value: ai.flowx.dev.eventsgateway.receive.workflowinstances.v1
Note: The max.message.bytes configuration should be updated for this topic to ensure compatibility with Integration Designer message sizes.
You can do that by using the following procedure:
  • Engine Pattern
    • Pattern: ${kafka.topic.naming.prefix}${kafka.topic.naming.engineReceivePattern}
    • Purpose: Topic pattern for receiving messages by the engine service
    • Example Value: ai.flowx.dev.engine.receive.*
  • Integration Pattern
    • Pattern: ${kafka.topic.naming.prefix}${kafka.topic.naming.integrationReceivePattern}*
    • Purpose: Topic pattern for receiving messages by the integration service
    • Example Value: ai.flowx.dev.integration.receive.*
Replace placeholders with appropriate values for your environment before starting the service.

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Configuring WebClient buffer size

Integration Designer interacts with various APIs, some of which return large responses. To handle such cases efficiently, the FlowX WebClient buffer size must be configured to accommodate larger payloads, especially when working with legacy APIs that do not support pagination.
  • FLOWX_WEBCLIENT_BUFFERSIZE - Specifies the buffer size (in bytes) for the FlowX WebClient. Default value 1048576 (1MB)
If you encounter truncated API responses or unexpected errors when fetching large payloads, consider increasing the buffer size to at least 10MB by setting FLOWX_WEBCLIENT_BUFFERSIZE=10485760. This ensures smooth handling of large API responses, particularly for legacy APIs without pagination support.

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Configuring authentication and access roles

Integration Designer uses OAuth2 for secure access control. Set up OAuth2 configurations with these environment variables:
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_BASE_SERVER_URL - Base URL for the OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_CLIENT_CLIENT_ID - Unique identifier for the client application registered with the OAuth 2.0 server
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_CLIENT_CLIENT_SECRET - Secret key for authenticating requests made by the authorization client
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_REALM - The realm name for OAuth2 authentication
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_ADMIN_CLIENT_ID - Client ID for the integration designer service account
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_ADMIN_CLIENT_SECRET - Client Secret for the integration designer service account
Refer to the dedicated section for configuring user roles and access rights:

Access Management

 Refer to the dedicated section for configuring a service account:

Integration Designer service account

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Authentication and access roles

  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_BASE_SERVER_URL - Base URL for the OAuth2 authorization server
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_REALM - Realm for OAuth2 authentication
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_CLIENT_CLIENT_ID - Client ID for the Integration Designer OAuth2 client
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_CLIENT_CLIENT_SECRET - Client Secret for the Integration Designer OAuth2 client
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_ADMIN_CLIENT_ID - Client ID for the Keycloak admin service account
  • SECURITY_OAUTH2_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_ADMIN_CLIENT_SECRET - Client Secret for the Keycloak admin service account

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Configuring loogging

To control the log levels for Integration Designer, set the following environment variables:
  • LOGGING_LEVEL_ROOT - The log level for root Spring Boot microservice logs
  • LOGGING_LEVEL_APP - The log level for application-level logs

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Configuring admin ingress

Integration Designer provides an admin ingress route, which can be enabled and customized with additional annotations for SSL certificates or routing preferences.
  • Enabled: Set to true to enable the admin ingress route.
  • Hostname: Define the hostname for admin access.
  ingress:
    enabled: true
    admin:
      enabled: true
      hostname: "{{ .Values.flowx.ingress.admin }}"
      path: /integration(/|$)(.*)
      annotations:
        nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /$2
        nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/cors-allow-headers: DNT,Keep-Alive,User-Agent,X-Requested-With,If-Modified-Since,Cache-Control,Content-Type,Range,Authorization,platform,Flowx-Platform

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Monitoring and maintenance

To monitor the performance and health of the Application Manager, use tools like Prometheus or Grafana. Configure Prometheus metrics with the following environment variable:
  • MANAGEMENT_PROMETHEUS_METRICS_EXPORT_ENABLED - Enables or disables Prometheus metrics export (default: false).

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RBAC configuration

Integration Designer requires specific RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) permissions to access Kubernetes ConfigMaps and Secrets, which store necessary configurations and credentials. Set up these permissions by enabling RBAC and defining the required rules.
  • rbac.create: Set to true to create RBAC resources.
  • rbac.rules: Define custom RBAC rules as follows:
rbac:
  create: true
  rules:
    - apiGroups:
        - ""
      resources:
        - secrets
        - configmaps
        - pods
      verbs:
        - get
        - list
        - watch
This configuration grants read access (get, list, watch) to ConfigMaps, Secrets, and Pods, which is essential for retrieving application settings and credentials required by Integration Designer.