The Practical Benefits of a Unified Elasticsearch and Kibana Installation
Benefits of a Unified Elasticsearch & Kibana Setup from a Businesses standpoint
Using ReadonlyREST (ROR) to enhance Elasticsearch and Kibana with advanced authentication and multi-tenancy traditionally required installing ROR plugins directly into the main cluster. While effective, this approach came with significant challenges: tightly coupling ROR with the core infrastructure increased complexity, made updates risky, and complicated maintenance. The sidecar deployment strategy offers a smarter alternative by separating security operations from the main Elasticsearch cluster.
The Traditional Approach: Increased Complexity
Installing ROR directly on every Elasticsearch node meant that updates, configuration changes, or troubleshooting often impacted the entire cluster. Upgrading Elasticsearch itself became intertwined with ROR plugin compatibility, creating a fragile ecosystem where even minor changes carried significant risk.
The Sidecar Strategy: Separation of Concerns
With the sidecar approach, a lightweight Elasticsearch and Kibana cluster runs ROR independently of the main cluster. The sidecar acts as an external gateway for authentication, authorization, and multi-tenancy, connecting to the main cluster through Cross-Cluster Search (CCS). This architecture simplifies maintenance, reduces risk, and streamlines operations by decoupling the security layer from the data layer.
Advantages of the Sidecar Setup
- Simpler Upgrades: The main cluster operates independently of ROR, allowing seamless upgrades without worrying about plugin compatibility.
- Reduced Risk: Changes to ROR, such as configuration updates or new versions, are isolated to the sidecar cluster. This ensures the main cluster remains stable and unaffected.
- Operational Flexibility: Testing new ROR configurations or experimenting with updates can be done safely in the sidecar cluster without impacting production systems.
- Improved Troubleshooting: Issues are easier to isolate since the sidecar and main clusters have distinct responsibilities.
Implementation Steps
- Deploy the Main Cluster: Create a stable Elasticsearch cluster with no plugins, focused on handling core functionalities and data.
- Deploy the Sidecar Cluster: Set up a lightweight Elasticsearch and Kibana instance with ROR installed to manage authentication and access control.
- Connect via CCS: Configure Cross-Cluster Search to link the sidecar to the main cluster, enabling secure data access without duplication.
- Iterate Safely: Use the sidecar cluster for testing and refining ROR configurations without interrupting the main cluster.
A Smarter Path Forward
The sidecar deployment strategy transforms the way ROR integrates with Elasticsearch and Kibana. By decoupling security operations, teams can maintain a streamlined, robust main cluster while experimenting and innovating with the sidecar. This approach minimizes risk, simplifies maintenance, and ensures long-term compatibility with Elasticsearch updates. For anyone looking to enhance Elasticsearch with ROR’s advanced features, the sidecar strategy provides a proven, efficient solution.
Related Posts
Setting up ReadonlyREST
In this blog post we will show how to install ReadonlyREST security plugin for Elasticsearch and Kibana int the most basic way.
Elastic Cloud Interoperability
Adopting ROR instead of paying for the platinum tier of Elastic cloud is cheaper, permits more advanced integrations, but most importantly: offers multi-tenancy over a single cluster.