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Configuring Services and Routes#

This section describes how to configure an upstream app with Gluu Gateway. GG uses Kong as its proxy with a very simple flow, described below. You just need to add your upstream application in kong.

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Create a new Service#

First, add the Upstream Application in Kong. In Kong, the Service entity represents the Upstream Application. Just add the Upstream Application's URL.

  • Open the Services section, left side in the navigation menu.

  • Click on + ADD NEW SERVICE button.

    3_services

  • It will open the following form.

    3_service_add

  • Enter the name and URL.

    For Example: If your upstream service URL is http://localhost:5555, then set the URL to http://localhost:5555 and the name to test-service.

    Kong also allows Services to be configured using Protocol, Host, Path, and Port (optional). To configure the Service using this method, you just need to leave the URL field and enter values in this field one by one. The URL field is just quick and short way to configure service.

  • Click on SUBMIT SERVICE at the bottom of the form

If successful, it will show it in list. Click on name of the service or pencil icon to see full details about service.

Create a new Route attached to the Service#

The second step is to create a route in the newly created Service. The Route represents the actual request to the Kong proxy endpoint to reach at Kong service.

  • To create a new Route, click on service name or pencil icon and it will open below view.

    3_service_manage

  • Click on Routes. It will show you previously-created routes. Click on + ADD ROUTE button to add new route.

    3_service_routes

  • After clicking on the button, it will open the following form. The Route will also need a name, and at least one of the following fields: Host, Methods, or Paths. Set the name to test-service-route and hosts to test.com. Press enter after adding values to the hosts field.

    4_route_plugins_add

  • Click on SUBMIT ROUTE button at the bottom of form to create route.

If successful, it will shows it in listing in Routes section.

Test the new Service and Route#

Use the following curl command which sends a request to the Kong proxy endpoint and verifies that Kong is properly forwarding request to Service. As per default, the setup Kong proxy endpoint is exposed on :443 port.

  • Run this command on the same machine where you installed Gluu Gateway. This example uses https://localhost because I am on the same machine.

    curl -k -X GET \
  https://localhost \
  -H 'Host: test.com'

  • Run this command on any other machine, after exposing the proxy endpoint globally with a domain. For example: if GG is installed on dev.gluu.org then request will be 

    curl -k -X GET \
  https://dev.gluu.org \
  -H 'Host: test.com'

  • For example, with the /users endpoint, add an endpoint path in URL like below example.

    curl -k -X GET \
  https://dev.gluu.org/users \
  -H 'Host: test.com'

One important thing is here, Host: test.com is passed in the header at the filter for the newly created route, which is configured with same host details. When the request is made, Kong matches all the requests with Kong route configurations. In the above case, it is matching host. There are several possibilities for routing.

Route configuration#

The route configuration is just like defining APIs in any programming language, adding HTTP Methods and Endpoint Paths. Here, Kong has more powerful tools for routing. The Route can add Hosts, HTTP Methods, Paths and Headers. For example,

  • GREEN requests are valid and allowed by Kong.
  • RED requests are invalid and deny by Kong.
Route Configuration Requests
  • Hosts: test.com
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost -H 'Host: test.com'
  • curl -k -X POST https://localhost -H 'Host: test.com'
  • curl -k -X PUT https://localhost -H 'Host: test.com'
  • Allow request which has host test.com
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost -H 'Host: anyother.com'
  • Hosts: test.com
  • Methods: GET
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost -H 'Host: test.com'
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost -H 'Host: anyother.com'
  • curl -k -X POST https://localhost -H 'Host: anyother.com'
  • Methods: GET
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost -H 'Host: test.com'
  • Adding extra Host header will not affect because kong only checking HTTP GET request
  • curl -k -X POST https://localhost
  • Methods: GET, POST
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost
  • curl -k -X POST https://localhost
  • Allow only HTTP GET and POST request
  • curl -k -X PUT https://localhost
  • Paths: /v1
  • curl -k -X GET https://localhost/v1
  • curl -k -X POST https://localhost/v1
  • For your /users endpoint: curl -k -X POST https://localhost/v1/users
  • Allow request which has /v1 in URL.

Configure multiple Upstream Application#

Multiple upstream applications can be configured in Kong. You just need to organization and configure the routes.

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For Example: we have three upstream applications http://localhost:5001, http://localhost:5002 and http://localhost:5003 then the configuration is follows:

  1. http://localhost:5001

    • Service: name: test-service-5001, URL: http://localhost:5001
    • Route: Hosts: test.com

  2. http://localhost:5002

    • Service: name: test-service-5002, URL: http://localhost:5002
    • Route: Hosts: test.com, Path: /v2

  3. http://localhost:5003

    • Service: name: test-service-5003, URL: http://localhost:5003
    • Route: Hosts: test.com, Path: /v3

This example uses the PATHs field of the Route to configure and differentiate the request from other services.

For http://localhost:5001, request with Host: test.com in header.

For http://localhost:5002, request with Host: test.com and /v2 in URL.

For http://localhost:5003, request with Host: test.com and /v3 in URL.