phorge / src / docs / user / cluster / cluster_devices.diviner

@title Cluster: Devices
@group cluster

Guide to configuring hosts to act as cluster devices.

Cluster Context
===============

This document describes a step in configuring Phorge to run on
multiple hosts in a cluster configuration. This is an advanced feature. For
more information on clustering, see @{article:Clustering Introduction}.

In this context, device configuration is mostly relevant to configuring
repository services in a cluster. You can find more details about this in
@{article:Cluster: Repositories}.


Overview
========

Some cluster services need to be able to authenticate themselves and interact
with other services. For example, two repository hosts holding copies of the
same repository must be able to fetch changes from one another, even if the
repository is private.

Within a cluster, devices authenticate using SSH keys. Some operations happen
over SSH (using keys in a normal way, as you would when running `ssh` from the
command line), while others happen over HTTP (using SSH keys to sign requests).

Before hosts can authenticate to one another, you need to configure the
credentials so other devices know the keys can be trusted. Beyond establishing
trust, this configuration will establish //device identity//, so each host
knows which device it is explicitly.

Today, this is primarily necessary when configuring repository clusters.


Using Almanac
=============

The tool Phorge uses to manage cluster devices is the **Almanac**
application, and most configuration will occur through the application's web
UI. If you are not familiar with it, see @{article:Almanac User Guide} first.
This document assumes you are familiar with Almanac concepts.


What Lies Ahead
===============

Here's a brief overview of the steps required to register cluster devices. The
remainder of this document walks through these points in more detail.

  - Create an Almanac device record for each device.
  - Generate, add, and trust SSH keys if necessary.
  - Install Phorge on the host.
  - Use `bin/almanac register` from the host to register it as a device.

See below for guidance on each of these steps.


Individual vs Shared Keys
=========================

Before getting started, you should choose how you plan to manage device SSH
keys. Trust and device identity are handled separately, and there are two ways
to set up SSH keys so that devices can authenticate with one another:

  - you can generate a unique SSH key for each device; or
  - you can generate one SSH key and share it across multiple devices.

Using **unique keys** allows the tools to do some more sanity/safety checks and
makes it a bit more difficult to misconfigure things, but you'll have to do
more work managing the actual keys. This may be a better choice if you are
setting up a small cluster (2-3 devices) for the first time.

Using **shared keys** makes key management easier but safety checks won't be
able to catch a few kinds of mistakes. This may be a better choice if you are
setting up a larger cluster, plan to expand the cluster later, or have
experience with Phorge clustering.

Because all cluster keys are all-powerful, there is no material difference
between these methods from a security or trust viewpoint. Unique keys are just
potentially easier to administrate at small scales, while shared keys are
easier at larger scales.


Create Almanac Device Records
=============================

For each host you plan to make part of a Phorge cluster, go to the
{nav Almanac} application and create a **device** record. For guidance on this
application, see @{article:Almanac User Guide}.

Add **interfaces** to each device record so Phorge can tell how to
connect to these hosts. Normally, you'll add one HTTP interface (usually on
port 80) and one SSH interface (by default, on port 2222) to each device:

For example, if you are building a two-host repository cluster, you may end
up with records that look like these:

  - Device: `repo001.mycompany.net`
    - Interface: `123.0.0.1:2222`
    - Interface: `123.0.0.1:80`
  - Device: `repo002.mycompany.net`
    - Interface: `123.0.0.2:2222`
    - Interface: `123.0.0.2:80`

Note that these hosts will normally run two `sshd` ports: the standard `sshd`
which you connect to to operate and administrate the host, and the special
Phorge `sshd` that you connect to to clone and push repositories.

You should specify the Phorge `sshd` port, **not** the standard `sshd`
port.

If you're using **unique** SSH keys for each device, continue to the next step.

If you're using **shared** SSH keys, create a third device with no interfaces,
like `keywarden.mycompany.net`. This device will just be used as a container to
hold the trusted SSH key and is not a real device.

NOTE: Do **not** create a **service** record yet. Today, service records become
active immediately once they are created, and you haven't set things up yet.


Generate and Trust SSH Keys
===========================

Next, you need to generate or upload SSH keys and mark them as trusted. Marking
a key as trusted gives it tremendous power.

If you're using **unique** SSH keys, upload or generate a key for each
individual device from the device detail screen in the Almanac web UI. Save the
private keys for the next step.

If you're using a **shared** SSH key, upload or generate a single key for
the keywarden device from the device detail screen in the Almanac web UI.
Save the private key for the next step.

Regardless of how many keys you generated, take the key IDs from the tables
in the web UI and run this command from the command line for each key, to mark
each key as trusted:

```
phorge/ $ ./bin/almanac trust-key --id <key-id-1>
phorge/ $ ./bin/almanac trust-key --id <key-id-2>
...
```

The warnings this command emits are serious. The private keys are now trusted,
and allow any user or device possessing them to sign requests that bypass
policy checks without requiring additional credentials. Guard them carefully!

If you need to revoke trust for a key later, use `untrust-key`:

```
phorge/ $ ./bin/almanac untrust-key --id <key-id>
```

Once the keys are trusted, continue to the next step.


Install Phorge
===================

If you haven't already, install Phorge on each device you plan to enroll
in the cluster. Cluster repository devices must provide services over both HTTP
and SSH, so you need to install and configure both a webserver and a
Phorge `sshd` on these hosts.

Generally, you will follow whatever process you otherwise use when installing
Phorge.

NOTE: Do not start the daemons on the new devices yet. They won't work properly
until you've finished configuring things.

Once Phorge is installed, you can enroll the devices in the cluster by
registering them.


Register Devices
================

To register a host as an Almanac device, use `bin/almanac register`.

If you are using **unique** keys, run it like this:

```
$ ./bin/almanac register \
  --device <device> \
  --private-key <key>
```

For example, you might run this command on `repo001` when using unique keys:

```
$ ./bin/almanac register \
  --device repo001.mycompany.net \
  --private-key /path/to/private.key
```

If you are using a **shared** key, this will be a little more complicated
because you need to override some checks that are intended to prevent mistakes.
Use the `--identify-as` flag to choose a device identity:

```
$ ./bin/almanac register \
  --device <keywarden-device> \
  --private-key <key> \
  --identify-as <actual-device>
```

For example, you might run this command on `repo001` when using a shared key:

```
$ ./bin/almanac register \
  --device keywarden.mycompany.net \
  --private-key /path/to/private-key \
  --identify-as repo001.mycompany.net
```

In particular, note that `--device` is always the **trusted** device associated
with the trusted key. The `--identify-as` flag allows several different hosts
to share the same key but still identify as different devices.

The overall effect of the `bin/almanac` command is to copy identity and key
files into `phorge/conf/keys/`. You can inspect the results by examining
that directory. The helper script just catches potential mistakes and makes
sure the process is completed correctly.

Note that a copy of the active private key is stored in the `conf/keys/`
directory permanently.

When converting a host into a cluster host, you may need to revisit
@{article:Diffusion User Guide: Repository Hosting} and double check the `sudo`
permission for the host. In particular, cluster hosts need to be able to run
`ssh` via `sudo` so they can read the device private key.


Next Steps
==========

Now that devices are registered, you can build cluster services from them.
Return to the relevant cluster service documentation to continue:

  - build repository clusters with @{article:Cluster: Repositories};
  - return to @{article:Clustering Introduction}; or
  - review the Almanac application with @{article:Almanac User Guide}.