January 2022 Summaries

The Cloud Development Kit for Terraform (CDKTF) 0.9 release introduces several key improvements to enhance its functionality and usability. With this version, developers can now write Terraform configurations in their preferred programming languages, including C#, Python, TypeScript, Java, and Go, while still benefiting from the full ecosystem of Terraform providers and modules. Cross-stack references enable referencing resources across stacks in a single application, making it easier to manage state management for multiple environments. Improved resources for providers and modules include better support for sets and lists, allowing for more efficient use of generated code bindings. Additionally, CDKTF 0.9 introduces a new command-line option for Terraform outputs, enabling easy integration with workflows. The release also includes other enhancements and bug fixes, as outlined in the CHANGELOG.

HashiCorp Consul on Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) 0.3 is now generally available for all users, offering extended configuration support and new features such as secure multi-datacenter service mesh support, cross-datacenter upstreams, and deployment without Terraform. The latest version also includes improved performance testing and validation of the Consul on ECS architecture, enabling large clusters to be safely managed. This release is designed to support more deployment scenarios and provide a production-ready solution for users, with additional resources available to help get started with Consul on ECS.

HashiCorp Cloud Platform's (HCP) Consul is a managed service mesh and service discovery solution designed to provide an easier onboarding experience. A new UI enhancement allows users to auto-generate Terraform configurations for end-to-end deployment of HCP Consul, enabling users to deploy and test the service in under 20 minutes. This feature simplifies the process for users with limited or no Terraform experience. Additionally, HCP Consul now offers multiple size options for production tiers, allowing users to upgrade sizes within a tier using a single-click option in the UI. The company has also added video resources and documentation to aid in onboarding and learning about Consul.

HashiCorp is discussing the challenges and best practices for implementing a producer-consumer model in HashiCorp Vault, a central service used by functional teams to adopt efficient producer-consumer models. The goal of this model is to shift specializations to the team operating Vault, making it easier for organizations to achieve strategic initiatives like building new applications. However, each team has its own set of objectives, metrics, and challenges when dealing with secrets management, which can lead to slow progress, poor security practices, and a failure to create a scalable, efficient workflow that works for everyone. To overcome these challenges, HashiCorp recommends starting off on the right track by placing the needs of all stakeholders at the forefront, understanding the needs of producers and consumers, setting up a questionnaire and intake form, using a use case matrix, and engaging with consumer services owners to understand their needs. The producer team must view themselves as providing a service on behalf of the consumers, and it is incumbent on them to make it easier for consumers to accept and adopt the central service.

HashiCorp has renewed its SOC II Type II report for HCP Vault and HCP Consul, and obtained ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 certificates for its cloud products. The company is committed to enhancing and maturing its security program in a cloud-centric environment to maintain customer trust. HashiCorp's security audit reports and certificates are now available to customers and prospects under non-disclosure agreements upon request. The company plans to further expand the scope of its compliance program in 2022.

HashiCorp Waypoint 0.7 introduces significant enhancements to user experience, deployment workflows, and extensible CI integrations. The new release focuses on improving user interface design, allowing for more complex deployment workflows, and supporting external data fetching from various sources such as HashiCorp Vault, Terraform Cloud, Kubernetes ConfigMaps, and AWS Secrets Manager. This release also introduces workspace-scoped configuration, enabling users to alter plugin configurations based on the active workspace. The Waypoint server now supports executing triggers through gRPC, allowing for more accessible continuous integration use cases. Additionally, the new UI redesign provides a more streamlined experience with features such as displaying individual artifacts in a panel and timelines showing on an artifact's details page.

The blog post provides an end-to-end workflow for configuring HashiCorp Vault's OIDC authentication method to use Azure as an identity provider. It covers the key steps of enabling the auth method, configuring the OIDC auth method with Azure AD details, creating a default role and policies for JWT/OIDC authentication, and mapping Azure AD groups to Vault identity groups. The post also introduces Terraform modules that simplify this process, including modules for configuring Azure AD applications, OIDC authentication, and mapping Azure AD groups to Vault identity groups. The author recommends using these modules in automated CI/CD pipelines and at regular intervals to ensure changes in Azure AD groups are quickly replicated to HashiCorp Vault.

HashiCorp had a significant and eventful 2021, marked by major milestones and achievements in its public markets debut, product launches, and partnerships. The company's cloud development kit for Terraform enabled infrastructure to be provisioned with native programming languages such as TypeScript and Python. HashiCorp also released new versions of its products including Terraform 1.0, Consul 1.10, Nomad 1.1, Waypoint 0.6, Boundary 0.7, and Vagrant. The company expanded its partnership with cloud and technology leaders, including Microsoft, Cisco, and AWS. HashiCorp's State of Cloud Strategy Survey confirmed the rise of multi-cloud, with 76% of respondents already using multiple clouds and 86% planning to be multi-cloud within two years. The company grew to over 1,650 employees and added nearly 2,400 customers, including many large and important companies. HashiCorp's growth and success are attributed to the support of its open source and enterprise users, partners, and fast-growing team of employees.

HashiCorp Vault is a centralized secret manager that securely stores and manages sensitive data. It uses a zero-trust security mindset, where identity is the foundational component. In this blog post, the author explains how to achieve user authentication with HashiCorp Vault using OIDC (OpenID Connect) and Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) as a central identity provider. The author demonstrates how AAD can be used to provide identity for users and applications, allowing them to authenticate with Vault without leaking their credentials. The post also discusses the importance of managing secrets and identity in zero-trust security. Additionally, the author provides a Terraform module that registers an application in AAD, making it easier to configure Vault's OIDC auth method using Azure as an identity provider.

HashiCorp is once again calling for nominations and applications to the HashiCorp Ambassadors program, a group of community members who embody the spirit of open source by sharing knowledge, kindness, and mentorship. The ambassadors actively share knowledge about HashiCorp tools through content creation, local events, and productive feedback while adhering to the HashiCorp Principles. The program aims to make the community more vibrant and collaborative, supporting the health of the broader ecosystem. To apply or nominate someone, individuals should reflect on the past year and consider those who have helped them with HashiCorp tools and share their stories by submitting a nomination or application, including specific examples of how these potential Ambassadors engaged within the community.