Implement ENV secrets for PostgreSQL user accounts

[jberkus]

We need a better way to set passwords for the three PostgreSQL accounts we need to use than keeping them in a configuration file which may be in poorly secured CMS repo. I suggest that we use envdir, as several other Python projects (like WAL-E) do.

Other ideas?

[CyberDem0n]

What other parameters should it be possible to set via environment variables (except passwords)?
I'm thinking about:

• NAME (node name)
• SCOPE (cluster name)
• NAMESPACE (path inside DCS where cluster is stored, /service by default)
• RESTAPI_AUTH ('username:password' for accessing some of the endpoints)
• RESTAPI_CERTFILE
• RESTAPI_KEYFILE
• RESTAPI_LISTEN
• RESTAPI_CONNECT_ADDRESS
• POSTGRESQL_LISTEN
• POSTGRESQL_CONNECT_ADDRESS
• POSTGRESQL_DATA_DIR ?
• POSTGRESQL_PGPASS ?
• (ETCD|CONSUL|ZOOKEEPER)_HOST(S) ?

What about order of precedence? I think config file should have a priority.

[feikesteenbergen]

What about PATRONI_CONFIGURATION? As since 9744019 In that way you can run patroni totally with an envdir.

[CyberDem0n]

Yeah, but with PATRONI_CONFIG it's not possible to change config and reload it...

[alexeyklyukin]

It is actually called 'PATRONI_CONFIGURATION' and it's mutually exclusive with the actual configuration files, so you cannot read from both.

I think we only move the actual secrets to the envdir, obviously, the passwords, but also RESTAPI_AUTH, RESTAPI_CERTFILE and RESTAPI_KEYFILE.

[CyberDem0n]

It is not only about passwords, but about running Patroni in a docker. For example it's not always possible to figure out your "connect_address" from inside docker.

[jberkus]

Exactly. For example, when starting Patroni in Kubernetes, I can pass the Pod IP address as an ENV; it's not visible inside the container.

[lasomethingsomething]

@CyberDem0n @alexeyklyukin @feikesteenbergen @jberkus What's the next step to take for this issue?

[CyberDem0n]

I believe #211 covers most of the use-cases. Closing this issue. If something is missing we will create a new one.