Configuration

This section covers all aspects of configuring Kexa for your environment. Kexa's configuration is flexible and can be adapted to various deployment scenarios.

Table of Contents

1. Global Configuration
2. Environment Variables
3. Rules Configuration
4. Multiple Environments
5. Advanced Configuration

Global Configuration

The main configuration file is located at ./config/default.json. This file defines:

• Provider configurations
• Rule sets
• Global settings
• Timeout and retry settings
• Data export settings

Example configuration:

{
  "azure": [
    {
      "name": "Project A",
      "prefix": "A_",
      "description": "Project A is a quick-launch test",
      "rules": [
        "Economy",
        "OperationalExcellence",
        "Security",
        "rules-testing",
        "Performance"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "general":  { // set this if you want Kexa as continuous run
    "timeout": 1, // timeout after 1 minute, you can use 0.5 for 30s timeout for example
    "maxRetry": 2, // Kexa will retry 2 times after timeout, choose 0 for no retry.
    "checkInterval": 120, // interval between Kexa checks in seconds
    "alertInterval": 3600 // alerts interval to avoid too much duplicate
  }
}

See Global Configuration for detailed information.

Environment Variables

Kexa uses environment variables for:

• Sensitive information (API keys, credentials)
• Provider authentication
• Directory paths
• Custom configurations
• Notifications sensitive informations
• Debug settings

Common environment variables:

# Don't forget that 'A_' is the prefix for the Azure environment variables.

# Azure Configuration
A_AZURECLIENTID=""
A_AZURETENANTID=""
A_AZURECLIENTSECRET=""
A_SUBSCRIPTIONID=""

# AWS Configuration
A_AWS_SECRET_NAME=""
A_AWS_REGION=""
A_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=""
A_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=""

See Environment Variables for a complete list and usage examples.

Rules Configuration

Rules are defined in YAML files and specify:

• What to check
• How to check it
• What actions to take
• Notification settings
• Severity levels
• Custom conditions

Example rule file:

- version: 1.0.0
  date: 07-18-2023
  alert:
    fatal:
      # settings for fatal level alert
    error:
      # settings for error level alert
    warning:
      # settings for warning level alert
    info:
      # settings for info level alert
    global:
      # global alert settings
    - name: "azure-is-disk-orphan"
      description : "this rules is to check if disk is orphan"
      applied: true
      level: 1
      cloudProvider: azure
      objectName : ComputeManagementClient.disks
      conditions:
        - property : diskState
          condition : DIFFERENT
          value : Unattached

To know more about rules and notifications configuration refer first to Rules Configuration and then Notifications Addons to use correclty the addon you need.

Multiple Environments

Kexa supports managing multiple environments through:

• Environment-specific configurations
• Provider prefixes
• Custom rule sets per environment
• Environment-specific notifications

Example multi-environment configuration:

{
  "azure": [
    {
      "name": "Production",
      "prefix": "PROD_",
      "rules": ["Security", "Performance"]
    },
    {
      "name": "Development",
      "prefix": "DEV_",
      "rules": ["Security", "Cost"]
    }
  ]
}

See Multiple Environments for detailed information.

Advanced Configuration

For advanced users, Kexa supports:

• Multiple configuration files
• Environment-specific settings
• Custom addon configurations
• Variabilization
• Custom scripts
• Advanced notification routing
• Data export customization

See Advanced Configuration for detailed information.

Best Practices

1. Security:

   • Use environment variables for sensitive data
   • Implement proper access controls
   • Regular credential rotation

2. Organization:

   • Use meaningful prefixes
   • Document custom configurations
   • Version control your rules

3. Performance:

   • Optimize rule sets
   • Configure appropriate timeouts
   • Use efficient notification channels

4. Maintenance:

   • Regular configuration reviews
   • Update rules as needed
   • Monitor notification effectiveness

Example Configurations

For real-world examples and sample configurations, visit our Kexa Samples Repository. This repository contains:

• Sample configuration files
• Docker Compose examples
• Deployment templates
• Best practice implementations

These examples can serve as a starting point for your own Kexa configurations.

Troubleshooting

Common configuration issues and solutions:

1. Authentication Issues:

   • Verify environment variables
   • Check credential permissions
   • Validate provider settings

2. Rule Execution Problems:

   • Review rule syntax
   • Check resource availability
   • Verify condition logic

3. Notification Failures:

   • Validate notification settings
   • Check channel configurations
   • Verify message templates

See the Troubleshooting Guide for more information.