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Use ConfigMaps

ConfigMap (ConfigMap) is an API object of Kubernetes, which is used to save non-confidential data into key-value pairs, and can store configurations that other objects need to use. When used, the container can use it as an environment variable, a command-line argument, or a configuration file in a storage volume. By using ConfigMaps, configuration data and application code can be separated, providing a more flexible way to modify application configuration.

Note

ConfigMaps do not provide confidentiality or encryption. If the data to be stored is confidential, please use secret, or use other third-party tools to ensure the privacy of the data instead of ConfigMaps. In addition, when using ConfigMaps in containers, the container and ConfigMaps must be in the same cluster namespace.

scenes to be used

You can use ConfigMaps in Pods. There are many use cases, mainly including:

  • Use ConfigMaps to set the environment variables of the container

  • Use ConfigMaps to set the command line parameters of the container

  • Use ConfigMaps as container data volumes

Set the environment variables of the container

You can use the ConfigMap as the environment variable of the container through the graphical interface or the terminal command line.

Note

The ConfigMap import is to use the ConfigMap as the value of the environment variable; the ConfigMap key value import is to use a certain parameter in the ConfigMap as the value of the environment variable.

Graphical interface operation

When creating a workload through an image, you can set environment variables for the container by selecting Import ConfigMaps or Import ConfigMap Key Values on the Environment Variables interface.

  1. Go to the Image Creation Workload page, in the Container Configuration step, select the Environment Variables configuration, and click the Add Environment Variable button.

  2. Select ConfigMap Import or ConfigMap Key Value Import in the environment variable type.

    • When the environment variable type is selected as ConfigMap import , enter variable name , prefix name, ConfigMap name in sequence.

    • When the environment variable type is selected as ConfigMap key-value import , enter variable name , ConfigMap name, and Secret name in sequence.

Command line operation

You can set ConfigMaps as environment variables when creating a workload, using the valueFrom parameter to refer to the Key/Value in the ConfigMap.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
   name: configmap-pod-1
spec:
   containers:
     - name: test-container
       image: busybox
       command: [ "/bin/sh", "-c", "env" ]
       env:
         - name: SPECIAL_LEVEL_KEY
           valueFrom: # (1)
             configMapKeyRef:
               name: kpanda-configmap # (2)
               key: SPECIAL_LEVEL # (3)
   restartPolicy: Never
  1. Use valueFrom to specify the value of the env reference ConfigMap
  2. Referenced configuration file name
  3. Referenced ConfigMap key

Set the command line parameters of the container

You can use ConfigMaps to set the command or parameter value in the container, and use the environment variable substitution syntax $(VAR_NAME) to do so. As follows.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
   name: configmap-pod-3
spec:
   containers:
     - name: test-container
       image: busybox
       command: [ "/bin/sh", "-c", "echo $(SPECIAL_LEVEL_KEY) $(SPECIAL_TYPE_KEY)" ]
       env:
         - name: SPECIAL_LEVEL_KEY
           valueFrom:
             configMapKeyRef:
               name: kpanda-configmap
               key: SPECIAL_LEVEL
         - name: SPECIAL_TYPE_KEY
           valueFrom:
             configMapKeyRef:
               name: kpanda-configmap
               key: SPECIAL_TYPE
   restartPolicy: Never

After the Pod runs, the output is as follows.

Hello Kpanda

Used as container data volume

You can use the ConfigMap as the environment variable of the container through the graphical interface or the terminal command line.

Graphical operation

When creating a workload through an image, you can use the ConfigMap as the data volume of the container by selecting the storage type as "ConfigMap" on the "Data Storage" interface.

  1. Go to the Image Creation Workload page, in the Container Configuration step, select the Data Storage configuration, and click __Add in the __ Node Path Mapping __ list __ button.

  2. Select ConfigMap in the storage type, and enter container path , subpath and other information in sequence.

Command line operation

To use a ConfigMap in a Pod's storage volume.

Here is an example Pod that mounts a ConfigMap as a volume:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
   name: mypod
spec:
   containers:
   -name: mypod
     image: redis
     volumeMounts:
     - name: foo
       mountPath: "/etc/foo"
       readOnly: true
   volumes:
   - name: foo
     configMap:
       name: myconfigmap

If there are multiple containers in a Pod, each container needs its own volumeMounts block, but you only need to set one spec.volumes block per ConfigMap.

Note

When a ConfigMap is used as a data volume mounted on a container, the ConfigMap can only be read as a read-only file.