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Move authing API requests tutorial to main docs

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Signed-off-by: Nataliya Issayeva <nissayeva@users.noreply.github.com>
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Nataliya Issayeva
2021-11-18 08:44:28 -08:00
parent 6968b52b9d
commit 7f0d927d99
1 changed files with 40 additions and 10 deletions
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contrib/docs/tutorials/authenticate-api-requests.md → docs/tutorials/authenticate-api-requests.md
+40 -10
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@@ -1,19 +1,45 @@
---
id: authenticate-api-requests
title: Authenticating API Requests
description: Guide for authenticating API requests within Backstage
---
> This document has been moved over from the community contributed docs
> directory and will continue to evolve as request authentication/authorization
> becomes a first-class citizen of Backstage. The approach described here is now
> fully supported and functional end-to-end, but will eventually be replaced in
> favor of a built-in framework that will broadly support authentication and
> authorization needs within Backstage.
# Authenticate API requests
The Backstage backend APIs are by default available without authentication. To avoid evil-doers from accessing or modifying data, one might use a network protection mechanism such as a firewall or an authenticating reverse proxy. For Backstage instances that are available on the Internet one can instead use the experimental IdentityClient as outlined below.
The Backstage backend APIs are by default available without authentication. To
avoid evil-doers from accessing or modifying data, one might use a network
protection mechanism such as a firewall or an authenticating reverse proxy. For
Backstage instances that are available on the Internet one can instead use the
experimental IdentityClient as outlined below.
API requests from frontend plugins include an authorization header with a Backstage identity token acquired when the user logs in. By adding a middleware that verifies said token to be valid and signed by Backstage, non-authenticated requests can be blocked with a 401 Unauthorized response.
API requests from frontend plugins include an authorization header with a
Backstage identity token acquired when the user logs in. By adding a middleware
that verifies said token to be valid and signed by Backstage, non-authenticated
requests can be blocked with a 401 Unauthorized response.
**NOTE**: Enabling this means that Backstage will stop working for guests, as no token is issued for them.
**NOTE**: Enabling this means that Backstage will stop working for guests, as no
token is issued for them.
Since the middleware always expects a valid token, API requests from backend plugins will need one as well. Backends have no concept of a Backstage identity so instead they use a token generated using a shared key from the `app-config.yaml`.
You can generate a unique key for your app in a terminal, and set the `BACKEND_SECRET` environment variable to the resulting value.
Since the middleware always expects a valid token, API requests from backend
plugins will need one as well. Backends have no concept of a Backstage identity
so instead they use a token generated using a shared key from the
`app-config.yaml`. You can generate a unique key for your app in a terminal, and
set the `BACKEND_SECRET` environment variable to the resulting value.
```bash
node -p 'require("crypto").randomBytes(24).toString("base64")'
```
As techdocs HTML pages load assets without an Authorization header the code below also sets a token cookie when the user logs in (and when the token is about to expire).
As techdocs HTML pages load assets without an Authorization header the code
below also sets a token cookie when the user logs in (and when the token is
about to expire).
```typescript
// packages/backend/src/index.ts from a create-app deployment
@@ -197,9 +223,10 @@ const app = createApp({
// ...
```
**NOTE**: Most Backstage frontend plugins come with the support for the `IdentityApi`.
In case you already have a dozen of internal ones, you may need to update those too.
Assuming you follow the common plugin structure, the changes to your front-end may look like:
**NOTE**: Most Backstage frontend plugins come with the support for the
`IdentityApi`. In case you already have a dozen of internal ones, you may need
to update those too. Assuming you follow the common plugin structure, the
changes to your front-end may look like:
```diff
// plugins/internal-plugin/src/api.ts
@@ -277,7 +304,10 @@ export const plugin = createPlugin({
});
```
In the (probably unlikely) case that you need to authenticate from a backend plugin, the plugin environment contains a `tokenManager` that will provide a server token to use in the request. It is a noop `tokenManager` by default -- you'll need to instantiate a new one using the secret from your config instead:
In the (probably unlikely) case that you need to authenticate from a backend
plugin, the plugin environment contains a `tokenManager` that will provide a
server token to use in the request. It is a noop `tokenManager` by default --
you'll need to instantiate a new one using the secret from your config instead:
```diff
// packages/backend/src/index.ts