Configuring a Kubernetes Secret as a secretstore

Split input.json configuration from credentials stored in Kubernetes Secrets for improved security.

By default, credentials are defined in input.json. To improve security, you can split the data into two parts:

• input.json for storing configuration values only.
• Kubernetes Secret to store credentials (serves as the secretstore).

Note:

You cannot store certificate paths or certificate-related credentials as part of the secretstore.

Prerequisites

If the namespace does not already exist, create it before deploying UiPath products, as follows:

kubectl create namespace <uipath-namespace>

Note:

The secret must be created in the namespace where uipath products have to be deployed.

Configuring input.json

For uipathctl to identify that credentials are stored in a Kubernetes Secret, add the following section to input.json:

"secret_store": {
  "enabled": true,
  "secret_name": "uipath-credentials" // Secret deployed in uipath ns with all the credentials configured.
}

Depending on how you want to manage credentials, your input.json can contain either both configuration and credentials, or configuration only and credentials are stored in the secret, as shown in the following diagram:

• The following example shows a default input.json with configuration and credentials:

  {
    "admin_username": "admin",
    "admin_password": "password",
    "apps": {
      "enabled": true,
      "external_object_storage": {
        "enabled": true,
        "account_key": "secretkey",
        "account_name": "as-storage-account",
        ...
      }
    },
    "external_object_storage": {
      "enabled": true,
      "account_key": "secretkey",
      ...
    },
    "fabric": {
      "redis": {
        "hostname": "redis-cache.mycompany.com",
        "password": "redispassword",
        "port": 6380,
        "tls": true
      }
    },
    "fqdn": "automationsuite.mycompany.com",
    "orchestrator": {
      "enabled": true,
      "sql_connection_str": "Server=tcp:mssql.mycompany.com,1443;Initial Catalog=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;Persist Security Info=False;User Id=sqladmin;Password='sqlpassword';MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;Max Pool Size=100;",
      "external_object_storage": {
        "enabled": true,    
        "account_key": "secretkey",
        "account_name": "os-storage-account",
        ...
      },
      ...
    },
    "registries": {
      "docker": {
        "url": "registry.uipath.com",
        "username": "username",
        "password": "password"
      },
      "helm": {
        "url": "registry.uipath.com",
        "username": "username",
        "password": "password"
      }
    },
    "snapshot": {
      "enabled": true,
      "external_object_storage": {
        "enabled": true,    
        "client_id": "1fbd7d95-5f8c-4f70-90a6-fdf20310d10e",
        "client_secret": "client-secret",
        ...
      }
    },
    "storage_class": "managed-premium",
    "storage_class_single_replica": "azurefile-csi",
    "sql_connection_string_template": "Server=tcp:mssql.mycompany.com,1443;Initial Catalog=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;Persist Security Info=False;User Id=sqladmin;Password='sqlpassword';MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;Max Pool Size=100;",
    "sql_connection_string_template_jdbc": "jdbc:sqlserver://mssql.mycompany.com:1443;database=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;user=sqladmin;password={sqlpassword};encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true;loginTimeout=30;hostNameInCertificate=mssql.mycompany.com",
    "sql_connection_string_template_odbc": "SERVER=mssql.mycompany.com,1443;DATABASE=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};UID=sqladmin;PWD={sqlpassword};Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=yes;Connection Timeout=30;hostNameInCertificate=mssql.mycompany.com",
    "sql_connection_string_template_sqlalchemy_pyodbc": "mssql+pyodbc://sqladmin:[e-mail]:1443/DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER?driver=ODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server",
    "postgresql_connection_string_template_sqlalchemy_pyodbc": "postgresql+psycopg2://sa:<password>@135.235.240.165:5432/DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER"
  }
  

• The following examples show the input.json with configuration only (secret_store configured) and the credentials stored separately in credentials.json:
  • input.json sample with configuration and secret_store configured:

    {
      "apps": {
        "enabled": true,
        "external_object_storage": {
          "enabled": true,
          ...
        }
      },
      "external_object_storage": {
        "enabled": true,
        ...
      },
      "fabric": {
        "redis": {
          "hostname": "redis-cache.mycompany.com",
          "port": 6380,
          "tls": true
        }
      },
      "fqdn": "automationsuite.mycompany.com",
      "orchestrator": {
        "enabled": true,
        "external_object_storage": {
          "enabled": true,
           ...
        },
        ...
      },
      "registries": {
        "docker": {
          "url": "registry.uipath.com"
        },
        "helm": {
          "url": "registry.uipath.com"
        }
      },
      "secret_store": {
        "enabled": true,
        "secret_name": "uipath-credentials",
        "provider_configs": []
      },
      "snapshot": {
        "enabled": true,
        "external_object_storage": {
          "enabled": true,
          ...
        }
      }
    }
    

  • credentials.json sample with credentials:

    {
      "admin_password": "password",
      "admin_username": "admin",
      "apps": {
        "external_object_storage": {
    
          "account_key": "secretkey"
        }
      },
      "external_object_storage": {
        "account_key": "secretkey"
      },
      "fabric": {
        "redis": {
          "password": "redispassword"
        }
      },
      "orchestrator": {
        "external_object_storage": {
          "account_key": "secretkey"
        },
        "sql_connection_str": "Server=tcp:mssql.mycompany.com,1443;Initial Catalog=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;Persist Security Info=False;User Id=sqladmin;Password='sqlpassword';MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;Max Pool Size=100;"
      },
      "postgresql_connection_string_template_sqlalchemy_pyodbc": "postgresql+psycopg2://sa:<password>@135.235.240.165:5432/DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER",
        "registries": {
        "docker": {
          "password": "password",
          "username": "username"
        },
        "helm": {
          "password": "password",
          "username": "username"
        }
      },
      "snapshot": {
        "external_object_storage": {
          "client_secret": "client-secret",
          "client_id": "1fbd7d95-5f8c-4f70-90a6-fdf20310d10e"
        }
      },
      "sql_connection_string_template": "Server=tcp:mssql.mycompany.com,1443;Initial Catalog=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;Persist Security Info=False;User Id=sqladmin;Password='sqlpassword';MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;Max Pool Size=100;",
      "sql_connection_string_template_jdbc": "jdbc:sqlserver://mssql.mycompany.com:1443;database=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;user=sqladmin;password={sqlpassword};encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true;loginTimeout=30;hostNameInCertificate=mssql.mycompany.com",
      "sql_connection_string_template_odbc": "SERVER=mssql.mycompany.com,1443;DATABASE=DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};UID=sqladmin;PWD={sqlpassword};Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=yes;Connection Timeout=30;hostNameInCertificate=mssql.mycompany.com",
      "sql_connection_string_template_sqlalchemy_pyodbc": "mssql+pyodbc://sqladmin:[e-mail]:1443/DB_NAME_PLACEHOLDER?driver=ODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server"
    }%
    

Storing credentials in a Kubernetes secret

The credentials are stored as part of a Kubernetes Secret, as shown in the following example:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: uipath-credentials
  namespace: uipath
type: Opaque
data:
  config.json: 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

Creating the Kubernetes secret

The Kubernetes Secret can be created using the credentials.json file with the following command:

kubectl create secret generic <secret-name> \
  --from-file=config.json=<path-to-credentials.json>/credentials.json \
  --namespace=<uipath-namespace>