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Proposal for new command "kustomize localize" (#4590)
* Propose kustomize localize Write mini KEP proposal for new command kustomize localize. * Incomplete commit * Update proposal based on Katrina's feedback Changes are summarized in comments in PR * Address feedback in comments
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# Localize Command | ||
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**Authors**: | ||
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- annasong20 | ||
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**Reviewers**: | ||
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- natasha41575 | ||
- KnVerey | ||
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**Status**: implementable | ||
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## Summary | ||
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The `kustomize localize` command creates a “localized” copy, of both the target kustomization and files target | ||
references, in which the kustomization files contain, instead of remote references, local paths to their downloaded | ||
locations. The command is part of an effort to enable `kustomize build` to run without network access. | ||
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## Motivation | ||
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monopole originally proposed the command `kustomize localize` | ||
in [this issue](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/issues/3980). | ||
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Users run `kustomize build` in many environments with limited network access. For example, CI/CD pipelines often only | ||
have access to the internal network. Server-side applications like Config Sync are concerned with the security | ||
vulnerabilities of git, which `kustomize build` uses to fetch remote files. | ||
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These use cases would benefit from a kustomize solution that downloads all remote files that a `kustomize build` target | ||
references, into a copy of target that references the downloaded files instead. Admins could upload the localized copy | ||
to an internal repo so that pipelines and applications can run `kustomize build` on the copy without a network | ||
dependency. | ||
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The proposed command nearly achieves the solution by downloading all remote files directly referenced by the target or | ||
by a recursively referenced kustomization file. The command also downloads remote exec binaries of referenced KRM | ||
functions, which are the only potential source of remote files other than kustomizations. The only remote files that | ||
this proposal does not cover and that `kustomize build` still needs to run are remote images and custom fields in KRM | ||
functions. Downloaded images would live only in local caches and thus, are not worth localizing. Kustomize cannot | ||
currently identify custom fields, though this may change with one of the proposed solutions | ||
in [issue #4154](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/issues/4154). | ||
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The proposed command has the added benefit of increasing user confidence in the integrity of their kustomization builds. | ||
Locally downloaded files, unlike urls, give users full control of file content. At the same time, the command does this | ||
without modifying the original kustomization so that users can always run the command on the original again to fetch | ||
upstream changes. | ||
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**Goals:** | ||
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1. This command should localize | ||
* all remote files that a kustomization file directly references | ||
* remote exec binaries of referenced KRM functions | ||
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This command achieves this goal if, in the absence of remote images and custom fields in KRM | ||
functions, `kustomize build` can run on the localized copy without network access. | ||
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**Non-goals:** | ||
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1. This command should not localize remote images or custom fields in KRM functions. | ||
2. This command should not copy files that the target kustomization does not reference. | ||
3. This command should not serve as a package manager. | ||
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## Proposal | ||
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The command takes the following form: | ||
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<pre> | ||
<b>kustomize localize</b> <ins>target</ins> <ins>newDir</ins> [-s <ins>scope</ins>] [-n] | ||
</pre> | ||
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where the arguments are: | ||
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* `target`: a directory with a top-level kustomization file that kustomize will localize; can be a path to a local | ||
directory or a url to a remote directory | ||
* `newDir`: optional destination directory of the localized copy of `target`; if not specified, the destination is a | ||
directory named `localized-{target}` in the same directory as `scope` | ||
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and the flags are: | ||
* `-s`, `--scope` | ||
`scope`: optional root directory, files outside which kustomize is not allowed to copy and localize; if not specified, | ||
takes on value of `target` | ||
* `-n`, `--no-verify`: do not verify that the outputs of `kustomize build` for `target` and `newDir` are the same after | ||
localization | ||
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The command creates a copy of the `target` kustomization and the local files that `target` references at `newDir`. We | ||
define the "files that `target` references" as: | ||
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* kustomization files that `target` directly or transitively references | ||
* configuration files that referenced kustomization files reference | ||
* exec binaries of referenced KRM functions | ||
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Here, configuration file means a non-kustomization yaml file. The command cannot run on `target`s that need | ||
the `--load-restrictor LoadRestrictionsNone` flag on `kustomize build`. The command only copies referenced files that | ||
reside inside `scope`. | ||
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The command localizes the copy of `target` at `newDir` by downloading all remote files that `target` | ||
references. Users do not have executable permission for downloaded exec binaries that KRM functions reference and for | ||
each such exec binary, the command will print a warning message to that effect. | ||
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The command creates a new `localized-files` directory, next to the file that referenced the downloaded files, to hold | ||
said files. Inside `localized-files`, the downloads are located on path: | ||
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<pre> | ||
<ins>domain</ins> / <ins>organization</ins> / <ins>repo</ins> / <ins>version</ins> / <ins>path/to/file/in/repo</ins> | ||
</pre> | ||
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where `version` corresponds to the `ref` query string parameter in the url, though ideally `version` ia a stable tag as | ||
opposed to a branch. | ||
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The command replaces remote references in `newDir` with the local paths of the downloaded files. To help ensure | ||
that `newDir` is a clean copy, the command additionally overwrites absolute path references into `target` to point | ||
to `newDir`. | ||
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As a convenience to the user, in the absence of the `--no-verify` flag, the command automatically tries to | ||
run `kustomize build`, without any flags, on `target` and the localized `newDir` to compare their outputs. The command | ||
indicates success if the outputs match and throws an error with the diff summary otherwise. This check, however, is not | ||
useful for certain `target`s, including those that need flags to build. In these cases, the command prints next steps | ||
that users can follow to check the output themselves. For example, for `target`s that reference KRM functions with a | ||
remote exec binary, the command suggests the user: | ||
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1. add executable permissions for the downloaded exec binaries in `newDir` **that the user trusts** | ||
2. run `kustomize build` with flags `--enable-alpha-plugins --enable-exec` and self-verify the outputs | ||
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**Error cases**: | ||
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* `target` does not have a top-level kustomization file | ||
* `kustomize build` needs `--load-restrictor LoadRestrictionsNone` to run on `target` | ||
* `newDir` already exists | ||
* `scope` does not contain `target` | ||
* `target` references a local path that traverses outside of `scope` | ||
* remote reference does not have a `version` | ||
* `localized-files` directory already exists | ||
* kustomization file is malformed | ||
* cycle of kustomization file references exists | ||
* `kustomize build` produces different output for `target` and `newDir` in the absence of `--no-verify` | ||
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Depending on feedback, we may add an `--overwrite` flag in the future to allow users to update an existing `newDir` by | ||
running the command again. | ||
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**Warning cases**: | ||
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* KRM function references remote exec binary, in which case the downloaded exec binary is not executable | ||
* KRM function has container image that the user might not have locally | ||
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### User Stories | ||
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#### Story 1 | ||
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My company’s CI/CD pipeline currently pulls an `example` directory from our internal package management site. I want the | ||
CI/CD pipeline to additionally run `kustomize build example/overlay`. My setup looks like this: | ||
```shell | ||
└── example | ||
├── overlay | ||
│ └── kustomization.yaml | ||
└── base | ||
└── kustomization.yaml | ||
``` | ||
```shell | ||
# example/overlay/kustomization.yaml | ||
resources: | ||
- ../base | ||
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/v1.0.6/examples/helloWorld/deployment.yaml | ||
``` | ||
```shell | ||
# example/base/kustomization.yaml | ||
resources: | ||
- github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/examples/multibases?ref=v1.0.6 | ||
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/v1.0.6/examples/helloWorld/configMap.yaml | ||
``` | ||
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I get an error from `kustomize build` in the pipeline because my configurations have remote references, but my CI/CD | ||
pipeline does not have external network access. | ||
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Fortunately, I remember that I can run `kustomize localize` on `example/overlay` on my local machine. I can then upload | ||
the localized directory to my company’s internal package management site for the CI/CD pipeline to pull and build | ||
instead. I run | ||
`kustomize localize example/overlay -s example`, where my `target` is `example/overlay`, I accept the default location | ||
and name of `newDir`, and I expand my `scope` to `example` because `example/overlay` references `example/base`. I get | ||
the following output: | ||
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```shell | ||
$ kustomize localize example/overlay -s example | ||
SUCCESS: example/overlay, localized-overlay produce same kustomize build output | ||
``` | ||
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```shell | ||
├── example # old kustomization directory | ||
│ ├── overlay | ||
│ │ └── kustomization.yaml | ||
│ └── base | ||
│ └── kustomization.yaml | ||
└── localized-overlay # the new, localized kustomization directory | ||
├── kustomization.yaml | ||
├── base | ||
│ ├── kustomization.yaml | ||
│ └── localized-files | ||
│ └── github.com | ||
│ └── kubernetes-sigs | ||
│ └── kustomize | ||
│ └── v1.0.6 | ||
│ └── examples | ||
│ ├── helloWorld | ||
│ │ └── configMap.yaml | ||
│ └── multibases | ||
│ ├── base | ||
│ │ └── pod.yaml | ||
│ ├── dev | ||
│ ├── kustomization.yaml | ||
│ ├── production | ||
│ └── staging | ||
└── overlay | ||
├── kustomization.yaml | ||
└── localized-files | ||
└── github.com | ||
└── kubernetes-sigs | ||
└── kustomize | ||
└── v1.0.6 | ||
└── examples | ||
└── helloWorld | ||
└── deployment.yaml | ||
``` | ||
```shell | ||
# localized-overlay/overlay/kustomization.yaml | ||
resources: | ||
- ../base | ||
- ./localized-files/github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/examples/helloWorld/deployment.yaml | ||
``` | ||
```shell | ||
# localized-overlay/base/kustomization.yaml | ||
resources: | ||
- ./localized-files/github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/examples/multibases | ||
- ./localized-files/github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/examples/helloWorld/configMap.yaml | ||
``` | ||
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Now, I upload `localized-overlay` from my local setup to my company’s internal package management site. I change the | ||
commands in my CI/CD pipeline to pull `localized-overlay` before running `kustomize build localized-overlay`, and the | ||
command executes successfully! | ||
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### Risks and Mitigations | ||
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One could argue that while uploading the localized `newDir` to a repository, a user could accidentally leak Secrets that | ||
were originally remote in a more private repo. This event is not very likely, as the servers that the user intends to | ||
consume the localized kustomizations often only have access to internal, private networks and repos. Nonetheless, users | ||
should have enough context in the case of Secrets to make the right decision. Users should have a basic understanding of | ||
the files that their `target` kustomizations reference and of the files that they plan to upload to repos. Secret | ||
configurations are also not too difficult to identify. | ||
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Exec binaries that KRM functions reference are a different story. `kustomize localize` downloads remote exec binaries | ||
that, if malicious, are capable of almost anything during subsequent `kustomize build` calls. The command mitigates this | ||
risk by leaving these downloaded exec binaries without executable permissions and warning the user, as mentioned in | ||
**Proposal**. `kustomize build` can only run the exec binary after the user deems the binary safe and changes its | ||
permissions. | ||
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Still another risk may be that if a user's kustomization tree is large, `kustomize localize` may be copying files from | ||
unexpected locations. The command mitigates this risk with the `scope` flag. If not set, `kustomize localize` only | ||
copies files in `target`. Otherwise, the user specifies `scope`and understands that `kustomize localize` only copies | ||
files in `scope`. The qualification that the command can only localize `target`s that follow load restrictions helps | ||
mitigate this risk as well. | ||
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### Dependencies | ||
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N/A | ||
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### Scalability | ||
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Large kustomization trees slows the performance of `kustomize localize`. These trees can have large local subtrees, have | ||
large remote subtrees, be deeply nested, or be wide, with each overlay referencing multiple bases. Regardless of the | ||
cause, large kustomization trees inevitably takes longer to copy and download. Parts of the kustomize code are not | ||
thread-safe, which precludes parallel execution. | ||
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On a separate note, a chain of remote kustomization directories in which the current kustomization file references the | ||
next remote kustomization directories could create a `newDir` with deeply nested `localized-files`. This directory | ||
structure would impede users’ navigation of `newDir`. However, this scenario should be unlikely as most kustomizations | ||
only consist of a few layers. | ||
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The creation of the `localized-files` directory local to the referencing kustomization file additionally prevents the | ||
different layers of kustomization files from sharing the same copy of the remote files. Following the same logic, | ||
different potential `target` directories cannot share copies either. | ||
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## Drawbacks | ||
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Users whose layered kustomizations form a complex directory tree structure may have a hard time finding an | ||
appropriate `scope`. However, many kustomizations exist in repositories, allowing the user to easily choose the repo | ||
root as a valid `scope`. The warning messages that `kustomize localize` outputs for reference paths that extend | ||
beyond `scope` should also help. | ||
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## Alternatives | ||
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* Instead of downloading into `newDir`, `kustomize localize` could download all remote files into a directory specified | ||
by some global environment variable (like in Golang), which would preclude deeply nested directories and allow | ||
different kustomization files to share configurations. On top of that, if `kustomize build` had the added | ||
functionality to check for previous downloads of remote references at said global location, `kustomize localize` would | ||
not need to overwrite the remote references in `target` to the local downloads. As a result, `kustomize localize` | ||
would need to neither write to `target` nor copy `target` into `newDir`. The user would not need to specify a `scope` | ||
either. <br></br> | ||
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Despite its advantages, the alternative design violates the self-contained nature of each kustomize layer. Users would | ||
be unable to upload a fully localized kustomization directory in version control. Furthermore, this alternative | ||
complicates the existing kustomize workflow by requiring the setup of global environment variables. | ||
<br></br> | ||
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* The command could, instead of making a copy, modify `target` directly. However, users would not have an easy way to | ||
undo the command, which is undesirable. | ||
<br></br> | ||
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* Instead of requiring the user to specify a second argument `scope`, the command could by definition limit its copying | ||
to `target`. However, in the case of **Story 1**, the command would force the user to set `target` to `example` in | ||
order to include `example/base` in the localization of `example/overlay`. The user would then have to create a | ||
kustomization file at `example` that points to `example/overlay` under the `resources` field. The creation of the | ||
kustomization file solely for this purpose is messy and more work for the user. | ||
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## Rollout Plan | ||
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This command will have at least alpha and GA releases. Depending on user feedback, we may add a beta. | ||
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### Alpha | ||
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This release will not support | ||
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* load restrictions check | ||
* KRM functions | ||
* absolute paths | ||
* `target` kustomization with reference cycles | ||
* any verification in the form of `--no-verification` flag or automatically running `kustomize build` at the end of | ||
localization | ||
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The entire command will be new in the alpha release, and so will not require an alpha flag. The command will not be | ||
available in `kubectl kustomize` either as kubectl only has `kustomize build` builtin. | ||
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### Beta/GA | ||
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This release should have all features documented in this proposal. Though, we may make changes based on user feedback. |