Azure Configuration Guide

This guide explains how to configure the application to connect to Azure Redis Cache and Azure Database for PostgreSQL.

Environment Variables

The application uses environment variables for configuration, making it easy to deploy to Azure Container Apps without code changes.

Azure Redis Cache Configuration

Set these environment variables in your Azure Container App:

REDIS_HOST=<your-cache-name>.redis.cache.windows.net
REDIS_PORT=6380
REDIS_SSL=true
REDIS_PASSWORD=<your-redis-access-key>
REDIS_TIMEOUT=2000

How to get these values:

REDIS_HOST:
- Go to Azure Portal → Your Redis Cache
- In the Overview section, copy the Host name
- Format: <cache-name>.redis.cache.windows.net
REDIS_PASSWORD:
- Go to Azure Portal → Your Redis Cache
- Click Access keys in the left menu
- Copy either Primary key or Secondary key
REDIS_PORT:
- Always use 6380 for Azure Redis Cache (SSL port)
- Port 6379 is non-SSL and typically disabled
REDIS_SSL:
- Set to true for Azure Redis Cache

Azure Database for PostgreSQL Configuration

Set these environment variables in your Azure Container App:

SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://<server-name>.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/leaderboard_db?sslmode=require
SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=<admin-username>@<server-name>
SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=<admin-password>
SPRING_DATASOURCE_MAX_POOL_SIZE=10
SPRING_DATASOURCE_MIN_IDLE=5
SPRING_JPA_HIBERNATE_DDL_AUTO=update
SPRING_JPA_SHOW_SQL=false

How to get these values:

SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL:
- Go to Azure Portal → Your PostgreSQL server
- In the Overview section, copy the Server name
- Format: jdbc:postgresql://<server-name>.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/<database-name>?sslmode=require
- Important: Include ?sslmode=require for Azure PostgreSQL
SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME:
- Format: <admin-username>@<server-name>
- Example: If your admin username is adminuser and server is mypostgres, use: adminuser@mypostgres
SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD:
- The password you set when creating the PostgreSQL server
- Or reset it in Azure Portal → PostgreSQL server → Reset password
Database name:
- Create a database in your PostgreSQL server (e.g., leaderboard_db)
- You can do this via Azure Portal → PostgreSQL server → Databases → Add

Server Port (Optional)

SERVER_PORT=8080

This is the port your Spring Boot application listens on. Default is 8080.

Setting Environment Variables in Azure Container Apps

Method 1: Azure Portal

Go to your Container App in Azure Portal
Click Configuration in the left menu
Click Environment variables tab
Click + Add for each environment variable
Enter the Name and Value
Click Save

Method 2: Azure CLI

az containerapp update \
  --name <your-container-app-name> \
  --resource-group <your-resource-group> \
  --set-env-vars \
    REDIS_HOST=<cache-name>.redis.cache.windows.net \
    REDIS_PORT=6380 \
    REDIS_SSL=true \
    REDIS_PASSWORD=<redis-key> \
    SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL="jdbc:postgresql://<server-name>.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/leaderboard_db?sslmode=require" \
    SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=<admin-username>@<server-name> \
    SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=<admin-password>

Method 3: Using Azure Key Vault (Recommended for Production)

For better security, store sensitive values in Azure Key Vault and reference them:

Store secrets in Key Vault:

az keyvault secret set --vault-name <your-key-vault> --name "redis-password" --value "<redis-key>"
az keyvault secret set --vault-name <your-key-vault> --name "postgres-password" --value "<postgres-password>"

Reference in Container App:
- In Container App → Configuration → Environment variables
- Add variable: REDIS_PASSWORD
- Value: @Microsoft.KeyVault(SecretUri=https://<your-key-vault>.vault.azure.net/secrets/redis-password/)
- Ensure your Container App has Managed Identity enabled and access to Key Vault

Local Development Configuration

For local development, you can use the default values or override them:

Using application.yml (defaults to localhost)

The application will use localhost values if environment variables are not set:

Redis: localhost:6379 (no SSL, no password)
PostgreSQL: localhost:5432

Using Environment Variables

Set environment variables in your IDE or shell:

macOS/Linux:

export REDIS_HOST=localhost
export REDIS_PORT=6379
export REDIS_SSL=false
export REDIS_PASSWORD=
export SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/leaderboard_db
export SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=leaderboard_user
export SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=leaderboard_password

Windows (PowerShell):

$env:REDIS_HOST="localhost"
$env:REDIS_PORT="6379"
$env:REDIS_SSL="false"
$env:REDIS_PASSWORD=""
$env:SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL="jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/leaderboard_db"
$env:SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME="leaderboard_user"
$env:SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD="leaderboard_password"

Testing the Connection

Test Redis Connection

After deploying, check the application logs for:

Successfully connected to Redis at <host>:<port> (SSL enabled)

If you see connection errors, verify:

Redis host and port are correct
SSL is enabled (REDIS_SSL=true) for Azure Redis
Password is correct
Firewall rules allow your Container App's IP

Test PostgreSQL Connection

The application will automatically test the connection on startup. Check logs for:

JPA/Hibernate initialization messages
Any database connection errors

If you see connection errors, verify:

Connection string format is correct (especially the @server-name in username)
SSL mode is set to require
Firewall allows connections from your Container App
Database exists

Troubleshooting

Redis Connection Issues

Error: "Connection refused"

Check REDIS_HOST and REDIS_PORT are correct
Verify firewall rules allow your Container App's outbound IP
Ensure Redis cache is running

Error: "Authentication failed"

Verify REDIS_PASSWORD is correct
Check if you're using Primary or Secondary key
Ensure password doesn't have extra spaces

Error: "SSL handshake failed"

Ensure REDIS_SSL=true for Azure Redis
Verify you're using port 6380 (not 6379)

PostgreSQL Connection Issues

Error: "Connection refused"

Check connection string format
Verify server name is correct
Check firewall rules allow your Container App

Error: "Authentication failed"

Verify username format: <username>@<server-name>
Check password is correct
Ensure database exists

Error: "SSL required"

Ensure connection string includes ?sslmode=require
Azure PostgreSQL requires SSL

Security Best Practices

Never commit secrets to code: Always use environment variables or Key Vault
Use Key Vault for production: Store sensitive values in Azure Key Vault
Enable managed identity: Use managed identity for Key Vault access
Rotate passwords regularly: Update Redis and PostgreSQL passwords periodically
Use private endpoints: For production, use private endpoints for Redis and PostgreSQL
Enable firewall rules: Restrict access to specific IP ranges or VNets

Example: Complete Azure Container App Configuration

Here's a complete example of environment variables for a production deployment:

# Server
SERVER_PORT=8080

# Azure Redis Cache
REDIS_HOST=mycache.redis.cache.windows.net
REDIS_PORT=6380
REDIS_SSL=true
REDIS_PASSWORD=<from-key-vault>
REDIS_TIMEOUT=2000

# Azure Database for PostgreSQL
SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://mypostgres.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/leaderboard_db?sslmode=require
SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=adminuser@mypostgres
SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=<from-key-vault>
SPRING_DATASOURCE_MAX_POOL_SIZE=10
SPRING_DATASOURCE_MIN_IDLE=5

# JPA Configuration
SPRING_JPA_HIBERNATE_DDL_AUTO=validate
SPRING_JPA_SHOW_SQL=false

Next Steps

Create Azure Redis Cache and PostgreSQL resources
Configure firewall rules to allow your Container App
Set environment variables in your Container App
Deploy and monitor application logs
Test the API endpoints to verify connectivity

For more details, see AZURE_HOSTING_PLAN.md.

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