Understand the basics of the Consul server and client architecture, and learn how to apply Consul for dynamic and secure service discovery, communication, and network connectivity automation

Key Features

• Discover how Consul servers and clients operate to facilitate primary Consul use cases
• Learn how Consul dynamically and securely discovers and shares service data throughout the network
• Utilize Consul to extend and secure network communications across multiple operating environments

Book Description

Within the elastic and dynamic nature of cloud computing, efficient and accurate service discovery provides the cornerstone for all communications. HashiCorp Consul facilitates this service discovery efficiently and securely, independent of the operating environment. This book will help you build a solid understanding of both the concepts and applications of HashiCorp Consul.

You'll begin by finding out what you can do with Consul, focusing on the conceptual views of configuration samples along with Terraform code to expedite lab environment and hands-on experimentation, which will enable you to apply Consul effectively in your everyday lives. As you advance, you'll learn how to set up your own Consul cluster and agents in a single datacenter or location and understand how Consul utilizes RAFT and GOSSIP protocols for communication. You'll also explore the practical applications of primary Consul use cases, including communication flows and configuration and code examples. With that knowledge, you'll extend Consul across datacenters to discuss the applicability of multiple regions, multiple clouds, and hybrid cloud environments.

By the end of this Consul book, you will have the tools needed to create and operate your own Consul cluster and be able to facilitate your service discovery and communication.

What you will learn

• Deploy and configure a highly available multi-node Consul architecture
• Implement Consul service discovery across multiple services
• Utilize Consul to monitor and communicate service health status
• Connect services securely across a range of environments
• Leverage your knowledge of the Consul service to automate network infrastructure
• Extend your Consul knowledge and connectivity across multiple environments

Who this book is for

If you are a solutions architect, DevOps engineer, or anyone new to the cloud-native framework looking to get started with using Consul, then this book is for you. Knowledge of Terraform is helpful but not necessary. A basic understanding of networking and Kubernetes systems will help you get the most out of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Consul Overview - Operation and Use Cases
2. Architecture – How Does It Work?
3. Keep It Safe, Stupid, and Secure Your Cluster!
4. Data Center (Not Trade) Federation
5. Little Bo Peep Lost Her Service
6. Connect Four or More
7. Animate Me
8. Where Do We Go Now?

Review

"For neophytes who've just discovered HashiCorp Consul and wish to learn and practice using the tool, this book takes you on an enjoyable journey with humor throughout. Divided into two parts: the first part teaches you the architecture of HashiCorp Consul and how to deploy a cluster, while the second part is focused on helping you practice through different use cases. During your adventure, you'll find explanations and use cases that allow you to better understand the examples. The book is for neophytes or anyone who wants to get started with the first production version with HashiCorp Consul. For those who know Terraform and Packer, this will be a real plus in understanding this book, but the author provides all the explanations necessary to understand the concepts covered. Finally, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book also covers some tools like Consul-Terraform-Sync." -- Mehdi Laruelle, Cloud Consultant, AWS Trainer and HashiCorp Ambassador

About the Author

Robert E. Jackson earned his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1997, and since then has found himself in a multitude of pre- and post-sales positions with various successful start-ups, mostly in the network access technology space. He has played multiple roles over the course of his career, including sales engineer, solutions engineer, integration engineer, network engineer, and product manager. Throughout all of these engineering positions he never learned to drive a train, but he was able to experience the digital transformation from traditional data centers to cloud computing from multiple viewpoints. He is currently employed at HashiCorp as a senior solutions engineer, based in the northeast area of the United States.