Azure App Configuration Unique Keys for Secure Data

Azure App Configuration provides a secure way to store and manage application settings, with unique keys being a crucial aspect of this process.

These unique keys are used to encrypt and decrypt data, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected.

Azure App Configuration supports multiple encryption algorithms, including AES and RSA, which are used to encrypt and decrypt data.

A key vault is also used to store and manage these unique keys securely.

See what others are reading: Manage Windows Azure

Azure App Configuration uses 256-bit AES encryption for data at rest, managed by Microsoft by default.

This means that your sensitive data is already protected, but you can still take it to the next level by using your own encryption keys.

By opting for the customer-managed key capability, you can elevate your security and ensure that your data is even more secure.

This is done by using a managed identity to authenticate with Azure Active Directory, which then communicates with Azure Key Vault to store and handle your cryptographic keys.

The App Configuration instance gets its instance's encryption key wrapped by the customer's key stored in Azure Key Vault, adding an extra layer of security.

The wrapped encryption key is safely stored, while the original (unwrapped) key is cached within App Configuration for a period of one hour.

This means that even if something were to compromise or lose the unwrapped key, a fresh version would be available within an hour, ensuring that the service remains operational under normal conditions.

Azure App Configuration refreshes the unwrapped encryption key every hour to ensure the availability of the key for decryption operations.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Azure App Service Encryption in Transit

Azure App Configuration offers a feature called customer-managed keys, which allows users to manage their own encryption keys for data security in Azure services.

This setup involves using the Standard tier Azure App Configuration instance, which provides advanced features including customer-managed key management. Azure Key Vault, a secure storage solution for cryptographic keys, is also utilized. Soft-delete and purge-protection ensure that deleted objects are retained temporarily and cannot be permanently deleted until the retention period has passed.

On a similar theme: Azure Managed Disk Terraform

To enable customer-managed keys, an RSA or RSA-HSM key within the Key Vault must meet specific requirements, including being non-expired, enabled, and having both wrap and unwrap capabilities enabled. The managed identity assigned to Azure App Configuration must also be granted permissions in the target Azure Key Vault, including GET, WRAP, and UNWRAP permissions.

A fresh viewpoint: Azure Web App Permissions

The customer-managed key capability is a game-changer for organizations looking to take control of their encryption keys in Azure.

This feature allows users to manage their own encryption keys for data security in Azure services. It's a higher-tier version of Azure App Configuration that enables the use of customer-managed keys.

To enable customer-managed keys, you'll need to use the Standard tier Azure App Configuration instance, which provides advanced features, including the use of customer-managed keys.

Azure Key Vault is a secure storage solution for cryptographic keys, secrets, and certificates. It's a crucial component in the customer-managed key capability.

Worth a look: Azure Key Vault C#

Soft-delete and purge-protection features are also essential in the customer-managed key capability. Soft-delete retains deleted objects temporarily (usually 90 days) allowing potential recovery, while purge-protection prevents immediate, permanent deletion of objects before the end of the retention period.

An RSA or RSA-HSM key within the Key Vault is required to meet specific requirements: it should not be expired, it must be enabled, and it should have both wrap (encrypt) and unwrap (decrypt) capabilities enabled.

To use a customer-managed key, you'll need to grant permissions to the managed identity assigned to Azure App Configuration. Specifically, it needs GET Permission to retrieve the key and WRAP Permission to use the key for encryption operations.

Here's a summary of the key requirements for using a customer-managed key:

By following these steps and using the customer-managed key capability, you'll be able to manage your own encryption keys for data security in Azure services, giving you greater control and security for your organization.

Expand your knowledge: Azure App Service Security Vulnerability

App Configuration treats all keys stored with it as independent entities. This means you can't infer any relationship between keys or inherit key-values based on their hierarchy.

To aggregate multiple sets of keys, you can use labels coupled with proper configuration stacking in your application code. This allows you to create different configurations for different environments.

For example, you can create a key named "Asset1" with an empty label and a label named "Development". In the first label, you put the default value for Asset1, and you put a specific value for "Development" in the latter.

In your code, you can retrieve the key-values without any labels first, and then retrieve the same set of key-values a second time with the "Development" label. The .NET configuration system allows you to "stack" multiple sets of configuration data on top of each other.

Here's an example of how you can implement stacking in a .NET application:

Azure App Configuration allows you to define settings that can be shared among multiple apps, including those running in App Service and other platforms.

A Configuration Setting is the fundamental resource within a Configuration Store, consisting of a key and a value, with additional properties such as modifiable content type and tags fields.

You can update an existing Configuration Setting by calling SetConfigurationSetting, assuming the setting exists in the configuration store.

The Label property of a Configuration Setting provides a way to separate Configuration Settings into different dimensions, which can be used to manage settings for different environments or regions.

Implementing Azure App Configuration can be a game-changer for managing application settings in cloud environments.

Azure App Configuration is specifically designed to manage and distribute application settings and feature flags, which is incredibly useful in modern applications.

In cloud deployments with multiple distributed components, managing settings individually can cause errors and application failures.

For your interest: Azure Cloud App Security

Centralizing management and distribution of application settings and feature flags with Azure App Configuration simplifies management, distribution, and troubleshooting.

This unified platform for configuration makes it easier to manage, distribute, and troubleshoot application settings and feature flags.

By using Azure App Configuration, you can mitigate the errors that arise from misconfigured settings in distributed components.

Worth a look: Azure Application Gateway Backend Settings Certificate

Settings are the backbone of any application, and Azure App Configuration makes it easy to manage and distribute them. A Configuration Setting is the fundamental resource within a Configuration Store, consisting of a key and a value, with additional properties like modifiable content type and tags fields.

In Azure App Configuration, you can separate Configuration Settings into different dimensions using the Label property. This allows you to have varying values for a setting across different dimensions, such as regions or environments.

For example, you can have a MaxRequests setting with a value of 100 in "NorthAmerica" and 200 in "WestEurope" by creating two separate Configuration Settings with different labels.

To retrieve a Configuration Setting, you can call GetConfigurationSetting, assuming the setting exists in the configuration store. This is a simple way to access the value associated with a specific key.

You can also update an existing Configuration Setting by calling SetConfigurationSetting, assuming the setting exists in the configuration store. This is useful for changing the value of a setting over time.

It's worth noting that Azure App Configuration centralizes management and distribution of application settings and feature flags, making it easier to manage, distribute, and troubleshoot in cloud deployments with multiple distributed components.

You can import configuration settings from your current configuration files into App Configuration using the Azure portal or CLI. This allows you to easily migrate your settings to the new platform.

The Azure portal and CLI options enable bulk importing of configuration settings, making it a convenient and efficient process. You can also use these options to export key-values from App Configuration, which can be useful for related stores.

You can set up ongoing configuration file import using GitHub Actions or Azure Pipeline Import Task if you manage your configurations in GitHub or Azure DevOps. This is a great option if you've adopted Configuration as Code.

Discover more: Aad Azure Portal

To access an App Configuration store, you can use its connection string, which is available in the Azure portal, but this approach is not recommended due to the security risks associated with storing credential information.

You can store the connection string in Azure Key Vault and authenticate your code to retrieve it, but a better option is to use managed identities in Microsoft Entra ID.

With managed identities, you only need the App Configuration endpoint URL to bootstrap access to your App Configuration store, which can be embedded in your application code, such as in the appsettings.json file.

Intriguing read: Azure Key Vault Access Policy

Retrieving a setting from Azure App Configuration is a straightforward process. You can use the GetConfigurationSetting method to retrieve a previously stored configuration setting.

To retrieve a configuration setting, you'll need to call the GetConfigurationSetting method and pass in the key of the setting you want to retrieve. This method assumes the setting exists in the configuration store.

Consider reading: Unable to Retrieve the Azure Active Directory Configuration

Here are the steps to retrieve a configuration setting:

You can also use the Label property of a Configuration Setting to separate configuration settings into different dimensions. This is useful when you have settings that vary across different regions, environments, or semantic versions.

For example, you can create a configuration setting named MaxRequests with a label of "NorthAmerica" and another with a different value and a "WestEurope" label. This allows your application to seamlessly retrieve configuration settings as it runs in different dimensions.

Here's a simple example of retrieving a configuration setting:

```

GetConfigurationSetting("some_key")

```

This code snippet assumes the setting "some_key" exists in the configuration store. If it doesn't exist, the method will return an error.

You can also use the connection string to your App Configuration resource to retrieve configuration settings. This connection string is available in the Azure portal and should be stored securely in Azure Key Vault.

However, a better option is to use the managed identities feature in Microsoft Entra ID, which allows you to access your App Configuration store without needing the connection string. This makes it easier to manage and distribute configuration settings across different environments and geographies.

Using Java Spring Profiles is a powerful way to separate parts of your application and make it only available in certain environments or when specific libraries are used.

Spring profiles provide a way to separate parts of your application, including configuration, and make it only available in certain environments or when specific libraries are used.

To use Spring profiles effectively, you should set the label of your key-values to match your Spring profiles. This is because the App Configuration Spring provider library loads the key-values with the label(s) matching the current active Spring profile(s) (${spring.profiles.active}) if the label filter isn't set explicitly.

For example, with profiles dev and prod, you create key-values accordingly with the following labels:

When the Spring profile is set to dev, the value of config.message will be Hello from dev. When the Spring profile is set to prod, the value of config.message will be Hello from prod.

For more insights, see: Azure Spring Apps

The default behavior can be overridden by setting the label filter in your bootstrap file. This allows the Spring provider library to load key-values with the specified label(s) regardless of the active Spring profile.

To select other labels and your Spring profile(s), you can use a label filter like ',${spring.profiles.active}', which will select all keys without a label and the ones matching your Spring profiles. The rightmost label(s) take priority when duplicate keys are found.

Readers also liked: Active Pim Role Azure

With Azure App Configuration, you can manage feature flags and Key Vault references programmatically using the App Configuration SDKs. This allows you to write your own customized management portal or manage them in your CI/CD pipeline.

You can create and update feature flags programmatically, giving you flexibility in how you manage your configuration. The feature flag APIs are available in SDKs of all supported languages.

Using Key Vault references programmatically enables you to securely store and retrieve sensitive data. The Key Vault reference APIs are also available in SDKs of all supported languages, making it easy to integrate with your existing infrastructure.

Readers also liked: Manage Azure

To improve the performance of your Azure App Configuration, you can reduce the number of requests made to the service. Excessive requests can lead to throttling or overage charges.

One way to reduce requests is to increase the refresh interval, especially if your configuration values don't change frequently. This can be done by specifying a new refresh interval using the SetCacheExpiration method.

Watching a single sentinel key rather than individual keys is another strategy. This allows you to refresh all configuration only if the sentinel key changes. This approach is demonstrated in the article's example on using dynamic configuration in an ASP.NET Core app.

Using the App Configuration Kubernetes Provider can also help reduce requests. This provider retrieves data from App Configuration and makes it available as Kubernetes ConfigMaps and Secrets, allowing your workloads to access the data without needing to pull it from App Configuration separately.

By enabling geo-replication of your App Configuration store, you can spread your requests across multiple replicas. This setup gives you a model for scalability and enhanced resiliency against transient and regional outages. With each App Configuration replica having its separate request quota, you can take advantage of this setup to improve performance.

Check this out: Azure App Service vs Kubernetes

App Configuration costs are a crucial factor to consider when working with unique keys.

Evaluating and consuming feature flags requires the App Configuration provider, which is available in .NET and Java Spring.

You can find more information on feature management in the Quickstarts and Tutorials section, specifically under the Feature management section.

App Configuration costs are directly tied to the need for feature flag management in your application.

The App Configuration provider and feature management libraries are required for evaluating and consuming feature flags, and they're available in .NET and Java Spring.

These libraries are found in the Feature management section under Quickstarts and Tutorials.

The cost of App Configuration is not explicitly stated in the provided information.

Choosing the right tier can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. The cost of a plan can range from $10 to $50 per month.

The most basic tier, Tier 1, offers 10GB of storage and 100 emails per day. This is ideal for small businesses or individuals with minimal storage needs.

See what others are reading: Azure Storage Account Key

For those who need more storage, Tier 2 is a better option, offering 50GB of storage and 500 emails per day. This tier is suitable for businesses with moderate storage needs.

Tier 3, the most advanced tier, offers 100GB of storage and 1000 emails per day, making it perfect for large businesses or organizations with extensive storage requirements.

Ultimately, the tier you choose will depend on your specific needs and budget.

Related reading: Azure Logic App Blob Storage Trigger

You can use a proxy service to securely authenticate with your App Configuration store and avoid exposing access keys to client applications. This is especially important if you're using the connection string in a client application.

Using a proxy service can also help prevent excessive requests to your App Configuration store, which can result in overage charges or throttling.

To manage configuration files, you can adopt the practice of Configuration as Code, which involves storing configuration files under your source control system. This gives you benefits like traceability and approval process for any configuration changes.

Worth a look: Azure Key Value Store

To create a ConfigurationClient, you'll need the value of the connection string. Once you have that, you can create the client.

Client applications in App Configuration should use a proxy service between the client and the App Configuration store to securely authenticate without exposing access keys. This is because using the connection string directly in a client application can result in security issues.

The proxy service can be built using one of the App Configuration provider libraries, which also provides caching and refresh capabilities to optimize the volume of requests sent to App Configuration. This can help avoid overage charges or throttling.

To use Azure Active Directory (AAD) credential, you'll need to install the Azure.Identity package and register a new AAD application, granting access to Configuration Store by assigning the "App Configuration Data Reader" or "App Configuration Data Owner" role to your service principal.

A different take: Azure Create New App Service

Code is a crucial part of managing client applications. You can manage configuration files under your source control system, such as a git repository, with the practice of configuration as code.

This approach gives you benefits like traceability and an approval process for any configuration changes. It's a great way to ensure that your applications can access the latest data from your App Configuration store(s).

You can import configuration files from your GitHub repository into your App Configuration store using GitHub Actions. This is a powerful tool that allows you to automate the process of updating your configuration data.

Alternatively, you can include the Azure App Configuration Import, an Azure pipeline task, in your build or release pipelines for data synchronization. This is especially useful if you're using Azure DevOps.

You can also import configuration files to App Configuration using Azure CLI as part of your CI/CD system. This gives you even more flexibility in how you manage your configuration data.

Here are some ways to import configuration files into App Configuration: