Building Custom ForgeRock Docker Images for Enterprise Deployments

Building custom ForgeRock Docker images is a crucial step for tailoring IAM solutions to meet specific enterprise requirements. Whether you need to integrate custom policies, add monitoring tools, or ensure compliance with internal standards, custom images provide the flexibility you need. In this post, I’ll walk you through the process, share common pitfalls, and highlight best practices.

What is building custom ForgeRock Docker images?

Building custom ForgeRock Docker images involves creating modified versions of the official ForgeRock Docker images to suit your organization’s unique needs. This process allows you to integrate custom configurations, add additional software, or apply patches without altering the original images.

Why customize ForgeRock Docker images?

Customizing ForgeRock Docker images offers several benefits:

• Tailored Configurations: Implement specific settings and policies required by your organization.
• Integrated Tools: Add monitoring, logging, or other utilities directly into the container.
• Version Control: Maintain consistent environments across different stages of deployment.
• Security Enhancements: Apply patches and updates more efficiently.

Getting Started

Before diving into the customization process, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

• Docker installed on your development machine
• Access to the ForgeRock Docker Hub repository
• Basic understanding of Docker and Dockerfiles
• ForgeRock software licenses and permissions

Step-by-Step Guide to Customizing ForgeRock Docker Images

Step 1: Choose the Base Image

Select the appropriate base image from the ForgeRock Docker Hub repository. For example, if you’re working with ForgeRock Access Management (AM), you might start with the forgerock/openam image.

Step 2: Create a Dockerfile

Create a new directory for your project and initialize a Dockerfile. This file contains all the instructions to build your custom image.

# Use the official ForgeRock AM image as the base
FROM forgerock/openam:latest

# Set the maintainer label
LABEL maintainer="[email protected]"

# Copy custom configuration files
COPY config /opt/openam/config

# Install additional packages (e.g., monitoring tools)
RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y net-tools && \
    apt-get clean

# Expose necessary ports
EXPOSE 8080 8443

# Define the entrypoint script
ENTRYPOINT ["/opt/openam/docker-entrypoint.sh"]

Step 3: Add Custom Configurations

Place any custom configuration files in a directory (e.g., config) and copy them into the image using the COPY instruction in your Dockerfile. This could include custom policies, themes, or other settings.

Step 4: Install Additional Software

If you need to add monitoring tools, logging agents, or other software, use the RUN instruction to install them. Ensure you clean up unnecessary files to keep the image size manageable.

Step 5: Build the Custom Image

Build your custom image using the docker build command. Specify a tag to easily identify and manage your images.

docker build -t my-custom-openam:1.0 .

Step 6: Test the Custom Image

Run a container from your custom image to verify everything works as expected. Check configurations, test integrations, and ensure all services start correctly.

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 --name my-openam-container my-custom-openam:1.0

Step 7: Push the Image to a Registry

Once you’re satisfied with your custom image, push it to a Docker registry for easy access during deployment.

docker tag my-custom-openam:1.0 myregistry/my-custom-openam:1.0
docker push myregistry/my-custom-openam:1.0

Common Pitfalls and Best Practices

Avoid Large Image Sizes

Large images can slow down deployments and increase storage costs. Keep your images lean by:

• Removing unnecessary files after installations.
• Using multi-stage builds to separate build-time dependencies from runtime dependencies.

Secure Secrets Management

Never hard-code sensitive information like passwords or API keys in your Dockerfiles. Use environment variables or secrets management tools to handle sensitive data.

Regularly Update Base Images

Keep your base images up to date to benefit from the latest security patches and bug fixes. Regularly rebuild your custom images using updated base images.

Use Multi-Stage Builds

Multi-stage builds allow you to separate build-time dependencies from runtime dependencies, resulting in smaller and more secure images.

# Stage 1: Build dependencies
FROM maven AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY pom.xml .
RUN mvn dependency:go-offline
COPY src ./src
RUN mvn package

# Stage 2: Runtime image
FROM openjdk:11-jre-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app/target/myapp.jar .
CMD ["java", "-jar", "myapp.jar"]

Comparison Table: Custom vs. Official Images

Security Considerations

Manage Secrets Securely

Use environment variables or secrets management tools to handle sensitive data. Avoid hard-coding secrets in Dockerfiles or configuration files.

Minimize Image Size

Smaller images are less likely to contain vulnerabilities. Remove unnecessary files and use multi-stage builds to reduce image size.

Regularly Update Base Images

Keep your base images up to date to benefit from the latest security patches and bug fixes. Regularly rebuild your custom images using updated base images.

Scan for Vulnerabilities

Use tools like Clair or Trivy to scan your images for known vulnerabilities. Address any issues promptly to maintain a secure environment.

Real-World Example: Adding Monitoring to OpenAM

Let’s walk through a practical example of adding Prometheus monitoring to an OpenAM Docker image.

Step 1: Modify the Dockerfile

Add Prometheus exporter and configure it in the Dockerfile.

# Use the official ForgeRock AM image as the base
FROM forgerock/openam:latest

# Set the maintainer label
LABEL maintainer="[email protected]"

# Install Prometheus exporter
RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y prometheus-node-exporter && \
    apt-get clean

# Copy custom configuration files
COPY config /opt/openam/config

# Expose necessary ports
EXPOSE 8080 8443 9100

# Define the entrypoint script
ENTRYPOINT ["/opt/openam/docker-entrypoint.sh"]

# Start Prometheus exporter
CMD ["prometheus-node-exporter"]

Step 2: Configure Prometheus

Create a prometheus.yml configuration file to scrape metrics from your OpenAM instance.

scrape_configs:
  - job_name: 'openam'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:9100']

Step 3: Build and Run the Custom Image

Build and run your custom image with Prometheus monitoring enabled.

docker build -t my-custom-openam-prometheus:1.0 .
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 -p 9100:9100 --name my-openam-container my-custom-openam-prometheus:1.0

Step 4: Verify Metrics Collection

Access the Prometheus endpoint to verify metrics collection.

Key Takeaways

• Customize for Flexibility: Tailor your ForgeRock Docker images to meet specific enterprise needs.
• Manage Secrets Securely: Avoid hard-coding sensitive information in Dockerfiles.
• Regularly Update Images: Keep your base images up to date to benefit from security patches.
• Minimize Image Size: Use multi-stage builds to reduce image size and improve performance.

Final Thoughts

Building custom ForgeRock Docker images is a powerful way to tailor IAM solutions to your organization’s unique requirements. By following best practices and avoiding common pitfalls, you can create efficient, secure, and flexible deployment environments. That’s it. Simple, secure, works.