Are you tired of encountering obstacles while attempting to use custom images from Google Artifact Registry to run Github workflows using Workload Identity Federation? You’re not alone! In this article, we’ll delve into the depths of this issue and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to overcome it.
Understanding the Problem
Before we dive into the solutions, let’s first understand the problem at hand. When trying to use a custom image from Google Artifact Registry in a Github workflow using Workload Identity Federation, you might encounter an error message similar to this:
Error: Error response from daemon: unauthorized: authentication required
This error occurs because the Github workflow is unable to authenticate with the Google Artifact Registry using the Workload Identity Federation. But fear not, dear reader, for we have a solution for this conundrum!
Setting Up the Prerequisites
Before we can tackle the issue, make sure you have the following prerequisites set up:
- A Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project
- A Github repository
- A Google Artifact Registry repository
- A custom image pushed to the Google Artifact Registry
- Workload Identity Federation set up between GCP and Github
If you haven’t set up Workload Identity Federation yet, don’t worry! We’ll guide you through it in the next section.
Setting Up Workload Identity Federation
To set up Workload Identity Federation, follow these steps:
- In the GCP Console, navigate to the
Navigation menu
and selectIAM & Admin
>Workload Identity Pools
. - Click on
Create a workload identity pool
and provide a name for your pool. - In the
Providers
tab, click onAdd a provider
and selectGithub
as the provider. - Follow the instructions to link your Github account to GCP.
- Note down the
Provider ID
andProvider hostname
, as we’ll need them later.
Creating a Service Account and Generating a Key File
To authenticate with the Google Artifact Registry, we need to create a service account and generate a key file. Follow these steps:
- In the GCP Console, navigate to the
Navigation menu
and selectIAM & Admin
>Service accounts
. - Click on
Create a service account
and provide a name for your service account. - Click on the
Keys
tab and selectAdd a key
. - Select
JSON
as the key type and click onCreate
. - Save the generated key file securely.
Configuring the Github Workflow
Now that we have our service account and key file set up, let’s configure our Github workflow to use the custom image from Google Artifact Registry.
Update your Github workflow file (.yml
file) with the following code:
name: My Workflow
on:
push:
branches:
- main
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Login to Google Artifact Registry
uses: docker/login-action@v1
with:
username: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_REGISTRY_USERNAME }}
password: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
- name: Run the container
run: |
docker run -d \
-e GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/app/key.json \
-v ${{ secrets.KEY_FILE }}:/app/key.json \
gcr.io/[PROJECT-ID]/[IMAGE-NAME]:latest
Replace:
[PROJECT-ID]
with your actual GCP project ID[IMAGE-NAME]
with the name of your custom image${{ secrets.KEY_FILE }}
with the path to your key file${{ secrets.GOOGLE_REGISTRY_USERNAME }}
with the username for your Google Artifact Registry (usually_json_key_file
)${{ secrets.GOOGLE_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
with the password for your Google Artifact Registry (the contents of the key file)
Securing Your Secrets
To keep your secrets, well, secret, you should store them securely in your Github repository. Follow these steps:
- In your Github repository, navigate to
Settings
>Actions
>Secrets
. - Click on
New secret
and add the following secrets:
KEY_FILE
with the contents of your key fileGOOGLE_REGISTRY_USERNAME
with the username for your Google Artifact RegistryGOOGLE_REGISTRY_PASSWORD
with the password for your Google Artifact Registry
Tying it all Together
Now that we have our Github workflow configured, let’s tie everything together:
In your Github repository, navigate to the Actions
tab and click on the New workflow
button.
Select the workflow file you created earlier and click on the Save
button.
Your workflow should now run successfully using the custom image from Google Artifact Registry, authenticated with Workload Identity Federation!
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered the steps to overcome the issue of using custom images from Google Artifact Registry to run Github workflows using Workload Identity Federation. By following these instructions, you should now be able to authenticate with the Google Artifact Registry and use your custom image in your Github workflow.
Remember to keep your secrets secure, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you encounter any issues.
Prerequisites | Steps |
---|---|
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project | Set up a GCP project |
Github repository | Set up a Github repository |
Google Artifact Registry repository | Set up a Google Artifact Registry repository |
Custom image pushed to Google Artifact Registry | Push a custom image to the Google Artifact Registry |
Workload Identity Federation set up between GCP and Github | Set up Workload Identity Federation |
Happy deploying!
Frequently Asked Question
Get the answers to the most pressing questions about using custom images from Google Artifact Registry with Workload Identity Federation in GitHub workflows.
Q1: What is the purpose of Workload Identity Federation in GitHub workflows?
Workload Identity Federation enables you to use identity federation to authenticate your GitHub workflow runs to Google Cloud services, including Artifact Registry, without having to hard-code credentials or manage long-lived secrets. This allows for more secure and scalable workflows.
Q2: How do I authenticate to Google Artifact Registry from my GitHub workflow using Workload Identity Federation?
To authenticate to Artifact Registry using Workload Identity Federation, you’ll need to configure your GitHub workflow to use the `google-github-actions/auth` action, which will generate a short-lived token that can be used to authenticate to Artifact Registry. You’ll also need to grant the necessary permissions to the service account used by the workflow.
Q3: What is the correct syntax to reference a custom image from Artifact Registry in my GitHub workflow?
To reference a custom image from Artifact Registry in your GitHub workflow, use the following syntax: `LOCATION-docker.pkg.dev/PROJECT-ID/REPOSITORY-ID/IMAGE-ID:TAG`. Replace the placeholders with your actual values, and make sure to update the `LOCATION` to match the region where your Artifact Registry repository is located.
Q4: Why am I getting a ” permission denied” error when trying to access my custom image from Artifact Registry in my GitHub workflow?
This error typically occurs when the service account used by the workflow doesn’t have the necessary permissions to access the Artifact Registry repository. Make sure to grant the `roles/artifactregistry.reader` role to the service account, and also ensure that the workflow is configured to use the correct service account credentials.
Q5: Can I use Workload Identity Federation with Artifact Registry to deploy my containerized application to other Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Run or App Engine?
Yes, absolutely! Once you’ve authenticated to Artifact Registry using Workload Identity Federation, you can use the same workflow to deploy your containerized application to other Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Run or App Engine, using the respective GitHub actions. This enables a seamless and secure pipeline for your application development and deployment.