The Red Hat Developer Hub is an enterprise-grade, integrated developer platform, extended through plugins, that helps reduce the friction and frustration of developers while boosting their productivity.

Red Hat Developer Hub support

If you experience difficulty with a procedure described in this documentation, visit the Red Hat Customer Portal. You can use the Red Hat Customer Portal for the following purposes:

  • To search or browse through the Red Hat Knowledgebase of technical support articles about Red Hat products.

  • To create a support case for Red Hat Global Support Services (GSS). For support case creation, select Red Hat Developer Hub as the product and select the appropriate product version.

Chapter 1. Plugins in Red Hat Developer Hub

The Red Hat Developer Hub application offers a unified platform with various plugins. Using the plugin ecosystem within the Developer Hub application, you can access any kind of development infrastructure or software development tool.

The plugins in Developer Hub maximize the productivity and streamline the development workflows by maintaining the consistency in the overall user experience.

Chapter 2. Dynamic plugin installation

The dynamic plugin support is based on the backend plugin manager package, which is a service that scans a configured root directory (dynamicPlugins.rootDirectory in the app config) for dynamic plugin packages and loads them dynamically.

You can use the dynamic plugins that come preinstalled with Red Hat Developer Hub or install external dynamic plugins from a public NPM registry.

2.1. Viewing installed plugins

Using the Dynamic Plugins Info front-end plugin, you can view plugins that are currently installed in your Red Hat Developer Hub application. This plugin is enabled by default.

Procedure
  1. Open your Developer Hub application and click Administration.

  2. Go to the Plugins tab to view a list of installed plugins and related information.

2.2. Preinstalled dynamic plugins

Red Hat Developer Hub is preinstalled with a selection of dynamic plugins. For a complete list of dynamic plugins that are included in this release of Developer Hub, see the Dynamic plugins support matrix.

The following preinstalled dynamic plugins are enabled by default:

  • @janus-idp/backstage-plugin-analytics-provider-segment

  • @janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-quay

  • @janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-regex

  • @backstage/plugin-techdocs-backend

  • @backstage/plugin-techdocs

The dynamic plugins that require custom configuration are disabled by default.

Upon application startup, for each plugin that is disabled by default, the install-dynamic-plugins init container within the Developer Hub pod log displays a message similar to the following:

======= Skipping disabled dynamic plugin ./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-dynamic

To enable this plugin, add a package with the same name to the Helm chart and change the value in the disabled field to ‘false’. For example:

global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-dynamic
        disabled: false
Note
The default configuration for a plugin is extracted from the dynamic-plugins.default.yaml` file, however, you can use a pluginConfig entry to override the default configuration.

2.3. Preinstalled dynamic plugin descriptions and details

Red Hat and partner plugins

Red Hat and its partners support the following 15 plugins:

Name Plugin Version Path and required variables

Analytics Provider Segment

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-analytics-provider-segment

1.7.2

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-analytics-provider-segment

SEGMENT_WRITE_KEY

SEGMENT_TEST_MODE

Argo CD

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-argo-cd

2.6.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-argo-cd

Argo CD

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-argo-cd-backend

3.0.3

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-argo-cd-backend-dynamic

ARGOCD_USERNAME

ARGOCD_PASSWORD

ARGOCD_INSTANCE1_URL

ARGOCD_AUTH_TOKEN

ARGOCD_INSTANCE2_URL

ARGOCD_AUTH_TOKEN2

Keycloak

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-keycloak-backend

1.13.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-keycloak-backend-dynamic

KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL

KEYCLOAK_LOGIN_REALM

KEYCLOAK_REALM

KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_ID

KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRET

Kubernetes

@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend

0.18.3

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-kubernetes-backend-dynamic

K8S_CLUSTER_NAME

K8S_CLUSTER_URL

K8S_CLUSTER_TOKEN

OCM

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-ocm

4.4.4

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-ocm

OCM

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-ocm-backend

4.4.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-ocm-backend-dynamic

OCM_HUB_NAME

OCM_HUB_URL

moc_infra_token

Quay

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-quay

1.11.3

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-quay

Quay

@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-quay

1.7.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-quay-dynamic

RBAC

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-rbac

1.29.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-rbac

Regex

@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-regex

1.7.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-regex-dynamic

TechDocs

@backstage/plugin-techdocs

1.10.7

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-techdocs

TechDocs

@backstage/plugin-techdocs-backend

1.10.9

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-techdocs-backend-dynamic

Tekton

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-tekton

3.12.3

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-tekton

Topology

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-topology

1.27.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-topology

Note
Technology Preview plugins
Important

Red Hat includes a select number of Technology Preview (TP) plugins, available for customers to configure and enable. These plugins and are provided with support scoped per Technical Preview terms, might not be functionally complete, and Red Hat does not recommend using them for production. These features provide early access to upcoming product features, enabling customers to test functionality and provide feedback during the development process. For more information on Red Hat Technology Preview features, see Technology Preview Features Scope. Additional details on how Red Hat provides support for bundled community dynamic plugins are available on the Red Hat Developer Support Policy page.

Red Hat technology preview plugins

Red Hat provides Technology Preview support for the following 7 plugins:

Name Plugin Version Path and required variables

AAP

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-aap-backend

1.9.3

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-aap-backend-dynamic

AAP_BASE_URL

AAP_AUTH_TOKEN

ACR

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-acr

1.7.11

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-acr

Bulk Import

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-bulk-import

1.4.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-bulk-import

JFrog Artifactory

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-jfrog-artifactory

1.7.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-jfrog-artifactory

Nexus Repository Manager

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-nexus-repository-manager

1.9.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-nexus-repository-manager

ServiceNow

@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-servicenow

1.7.2

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-servicenow-dynamic

SERVICENOW_BASE_URL

SERVICENOW_USERNAME

SERVICENOW_PASSWORD

SonarQube

@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-sonarqube

1.7.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-sonarqube-dynamic

Community plugins

Developer Hub includes the following 43 community plugins:

Name Plugin Version Path and required variables

3scale

@backstage/community-plugin-3scale-backend

1.8.2

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-community-plugin-3scale-backend-dynamic

THREESCALE_BASE_URL

THREESCALE_ACCESS_TOKEN

Argo CD

@roadiehq/scaffolder-backend-argocd

1.1.27

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-scaffolder-backend-argocd-dynamic

ARGOCD_USERNAME

ARGOCD_PASSWORD

ARGOCD_INSTANCE1_URL

ARGOCD_AUTH_TOKEN

ARGOCD_INSTANCE2_URL

ARGOCD_AUTH_TOKEN2

Argo CD (Red Hat)

@backstage/community-plugin-redhat-argocd

1.6.7

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-community-plugin-redhat-argocd

Azure

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-azure

0.1.14

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-azure-dynamic

Azure Devops

@backstage/plugin-azure-devops

0.4.4

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-azure-devops

Azure Devops

@backstage/plugin-azure-devops-backend

0.6.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-azure-devops-backend-dynamic

AZURE_TOKEN

AZURE_ORG

Azure Repositories

@parfuemerie/douglas-scaffolder-backend-module-azure-repositories

0.3.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/parfuemerie-douglas-scaffolder-backend-module-azure-repositories

Bitbucket Cloud

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-bitbucket-cloud

0.2.9

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-bitbucket-cloud-dynamic

BITBUCKET_WORKSPACE

Bitbucket Cloud

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-bitbucket-cloud

0.1.12

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-bitbucket-cloud-dynamic

Bitbucket Server

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-bitbucket-server

0.1.36

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-bitbucket-server-dynamic

BITBUCKET_HOST

Bitbucket Server

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-bitbucket-server

0.1.12

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-bitbucket-server-dynamic

Bulk Import

@janus-idp/backstage-plugin-bulk-import-backend

1.3.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-bulk-import-backend-dynamic

Datadog

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-datadog

2.3.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-datadog

Dynatrace

@backstage/plugin-dynatrace

10.0.4

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-dynatrace

Gerrit

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-gerrit

0.1.14

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-gerrit-dynamic

GitHub

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-github

0.6.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-dynamic

GITHUB_ORG

GitHub

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github

0.4.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github-dynamic

GitHub Actions

@backstage/plugin-github-actions

0.6.16

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-github-actions

GitHub Insights

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-github-insights

2.3.31

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-github-insights

GitHub Issues

@backstage/plugin-github-issues

0.4.2

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-github-issues

GitHub Org

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-org

0.1.17

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-org-dynamic

GITHUB_URL

GITHUB_ORG

GitHub Pull Requests

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-github-pull-requests

2.5.27

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-github-pull-requests

GitLab

@immobiliarelabs/backstage-plugin-gitlab

6.6.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/immobiliarelabs-backstage-plugin-gitlab

GitLab

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-gitlab

0.3.21

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-gitlab-dynamic

GitLab

@immobiliarelabs/backstage-plugin-gitlab-backend

6.6.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/immobiliarelabs-backstage-plugin-gitlab-backend-dynamic

GITLAB_HOST

GITLAB_TOKEN

GitLab

@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-gitlab

0.4.4

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-gitlab-dynamic

GitLab Org

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-gitlab-org

0.0.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-gitlab-org-dynamic

Http Request

@roadiehq/scaffolder-backend-module-http-request

4.3.2

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-scaffolder-backend-module-http-request-dynamic

Jenkins

@backstage/plugin-jenkins

0.9.10

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-jenkins

Jenkins

@backstage/plugin-jenkins-backend

0.4.5

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-jenkins-backend-dynamic

JENKINS_URL

JENKINS_USERNAME

JENKINS_TOKEN

Jira

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-jira

2.5.8

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-jira

Kubernetes

@backstage/plugin-kubernetes

0.11.12

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-kubernetes

Ldap

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-ldap

0.7.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-ldap-dynamic

Lighthouse

@backstage/plugin-lighthouse

0.4.20

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-lighthouse

Logs

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-logs

0.0.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-logs-dynamic

MS Graph

@backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-msgraph

0.5.30

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-msgraph-dynamic

PagerDuty

@pagerduty/backstage-plugin

0.15.0

./dynamic-plugins/dist/pagerduty-backstage-plugin

Scaffolder Relation Processor

@backstage/community-plugin-catalog-backend-module-scaffolder-relation-processor

1.2.6

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-community-plugin-catalog-backend-module-scaffolder-relation-processor-dynamic

Security Insights

@roadiehq/backstage-plugin-security-insights

2.3.19

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-security-insights

SonarQube

@backstage/plugin-sonarqube

0.7.17

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-sonarqube

SonarQube

@backstage/plugin-sonarqube-backend

0.2.20

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-sonarqube-backend-dynamic

SONARQUBE_URL

SONARQUBE_TOKEN

Tech Radar

@backstage/plugin-tech-radar

0.7.4

./dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-tech-radar

Utils

@roadiehq/scaffolder-backend-module-utils

1.17.1

./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-scaffolder-backend-module-utils-dynamic

2.4. Configuring dynamic plugins with the Red Hat Developer Hub Operator

You can store the configuration for dynamic plugins in a ConfigMap object that your Backstage custom resource (CR) can reference.

Note

If the pluginConfig field references environment variables, you must define the variables in your secrets-rhdh secret.

Procedure
  1. From the OpenShift Container Platform web console, select the ConfigMaps tab.

  2. Click Create ConfigMap.

  3. From the Create ConfigMap page, select the YAML view option in Configure via and edit the file, if needed.

    Example ConfigMap object using the GitHub dynamic plugin
    kind: ConfigMap
    apiVersion: v1
    metadata:
      name: dynamic-plugins-rhdh
    data:
      dynamic-plugins.yaml: |
        includes:
          - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
        plugins:
          - package: './dynamic-plugins/dist/backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-dynamic'
            disabled: false
            pluginConfig:
              catalog:
                providers:
                  github:
                    organization: "${GITHUB_ORG}"
                    schedule:
                      frequency: { minutes: 1 }
                      timeout: { minutes: 1 }
                      initialDelay: { seconds: 100 }
  4. Click Create.

  5. Go to the Topology view.

  6. Click on the overflow menu for the Red Hat Developer Hub instance that you want to use and select Edit Backstage to load the YAML view of the Red Hat Developer Hub instance.

    operator install 2
  7. Add the dynamicPluginsConfigMapName field to your Backstage CR. For example:

    apiVersion: rhdh.redhat.com/v1alpha1
    kind: Backstage
    metadata:
      name: my-rhdh
    spec:
      application:
    # ...
        dynamicPluginsConfigMapName: dynamic-plugins-rhdh
    # ...
  8. Click Save.

  9. Navigate back to the Topology view and wait for the Red Hat Developer Hub pod to start.

  10. Click the Open URL icon to start using the Red Hat Developer Hub platform with the new configuration changes.

Verification
  • Ensure that the dynamic plugins configuration has been loaded, by appending /api/dynamic-plugins-info/loaded-plugins to your Red Hat Developer Hub root URL and checking the list of plugins:

    Example list of plugins
    [
      {
        "name": "backstage-plugin-catalog-backend-module-github-dynamic",
        "version": "0.5.2",
        "platform": "node",
        "role": "backend-plugin-module"
      },
      {
        "name": "backstage-plugin-techdocs",
        "version": "1.10.0",
        "role": "frontend-plugin",
        "platform": "web"
      },
      {
        "name": "backstage-plugin-techdocs-backend-dynamic",
        "version": "1.9.5",
        "platform": "node",
        "role": "backend-plugin"
      },
    ]

2.5. Installation of dynamic plugins using the Helm chart

You can deploy a Developer Hub instance using a Helm chart, which is a flexible installation method. With the Helm chart, you can sideload dynamic plugins into your Developer Hub instance without having to recompile your code or rebuild the container.

To install dynamic plugins in Developer Hub using Helm, add the following global.dynamic parameters in your Helm chart:

  • plugins: the dynamic plugins list intended for installation. By default, the list is empty. You can populate the plugins list with the following fields:

    • package: a package specification for the dynamic plugin package that you want to install. You can use a package for either a local or an external dynamic plugin installation. For a local installation, use a path to the local folder containing the dynamic plugin. For an external installation, use a package specification from a public NPM repository.

    • integrity (required for external packages): an integrity checksum in the form of <alg>-<digest> specific to the package. Supported algorithms include sha256, sha384 and sha512.

    • pluginConfig: an optional plugin-specific app-config YAML fragment. See plugin configuration for more information.

    • disabled: disables the dynamic plugin if set to true. Default: false.

  • includes: a list of YAML files utilizing the same syntax.

Note

The plugins list in the includes file is merged with the plugins list in the main Helm values. If a plugin package is mentioned in both plugins lists, the plugins fields in the main Helm values override the plugins fields in the includes file. The default configuration includes the dynamic-plugins.default.yaml file, which contains all of the dynamic plugins preinstalled in Developer Hub, whether enabled or disabled by default.

2.5.1. Obtaining the integrity checksum

To obtain the integrity checksum, enter the following command:

npm view <package name>@<version> dist.integrity

2.5.2. Example Helm chart configurations for dynamic plugin installations

The following examples demonstrate how to configure the Helm chart for specific types of dynamic plugin installations.

Configuring a local plugin and an external plugin when the external plugin requires a specific app-config
global:
  dynamic:
    plugins:
      - package: <alocal package-spec used by npm pack>
      - package: <external package-spec used by npm pack>
        integrity: sha512-<some hash>
        pluginConfig: ...
Disabling a plugin from an included file
global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: <some imported plugins listed in dynamic-plugins.default.yaml>
        disabled: true
Enabling a plugin from an included file
global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: <some imported plugins listed in dynamic-plugins.custom.yaml>
        disabled: false
Enabling a plugin that is disabled in an included file
global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: <some imported plugins listed in dynamic-plugins.custom.yaml>
        disabled: false

2.5.3. Installing external dynamic plugins using a Helm chart

The NPM registry contains external dynamic plugins that you can use for demonstration purposes. For example, the following community plugins are available in the janus-idp organization in the NPMJS repository:

  • Notifications (frontend and backend)

  • Kubernetes actions (scaffolder actions)

To install the Notifications and Kubernetes actions plugins, include them in the Helm chart values in the global.dynamic.plugins list as shown in the following example:

global:
  dynamic:
    plugins:
      - package: '@janus-idp/plugin-notifications-backend-dynamic@1.3.6'
        # Integrity can be found at https://registry.npmjs.org/@janus-idp/plugin-notifications-backend-dynamic
        integrity: 'sha512-Qd8pniy1yRx+x7LnwjzQ6k9zP+C1yex24MaCcx7dGDPT/XbTokwoSZr4baSSn8jUA6P45NUUevu1d629mG4JGQ=='
      - package: '@janus-idp/plugin-notifications@1.1.12
'
        # https://registry.npmjs.org/@janus-idp/plugin-notifications

        integrity: 'sha512-GCdEuHRQek3ay428C8C4wWgxjNpNwCXgIdFbUUFGCLLkBFSaOEw+XaBvWaBGtQ5BLgE3jQEUxa+422uzSYC5oQ=='
        pluginConfig:
          dynamicPlugins:
            frontend:
              janus-idp.backstage-plugin-notifications:
                appIcons:
                  - name: notificationsIcon
                    module: NotificationsPlugin
                    importName: NotificationsActiveIcon
                dynamicRoutes:
                  - path: /notifications
                    importName: NotificationsPage
                    module: NotificationsPlugin
                    menuItem:
                      icon: notificationsIcon
                      text: Notifications
                    config:
                      pollingIntervalMs: 5000
      - package: '@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-kubernetes-dynamic@1.3.5'
        # https://registry.npmjs.org/@janus-idp/backstage-scaffolder-backend-module-kubernetes-dynamic
        integrity: 'sha512-19ie+FM3QHxWYPyYzE0uNdI5K8M4vGZ0SPeeTw85XPROY1DrIY7rMm2G0XT85L0ZmntHVwc9qW+SbHolPg/qRA=='
          proxy:
            endpoints:
              /explore-backend-completed:
                target: 'http://localhost:7017'
      - package: '@dfatwork-pkgs/search-backend-module-explore-wrapped-dynamic@0.1.3-next.1'
        # https://registry.npmjs.org/@dfatwork-pkgs/search-backend-module-explore-wrapped-dynamic
        integrity: 'sha512-mv6LS8UOve+eumoMCVypGcd7b/L36lH2z11tGKVrt+m65VzQI4FgAJr9kNCrjUZPMyh36KVGIjYqsu9+kgzH5A=='
      - package: '@dfatwork-pkgs/plugin-catalog-backend-module-test-dynamic@0.0.0'
        # https://registry.npmjs.org/@dfatwork-pkgs/plugin-catalog-backend-module-test-dynamic
        integrity: 'sha512-YsrZMThxJk7cYJU9FtAcsTCx9lCChpytK254TfGb3iMAYQyVcZnr5AA/AU+hezFnXLsr6gj8PP7z/mCZieuuDA=='

2.6. Using a custom NPM registry for dynamic plugin packages

Note

You can install external plugins in an air-gapped environment by setting up a custom NPM registry.

You can configure the NPM registry URL and authentication information for dynamic plugin packages using a Helm chart. For dynamic plugin packages obtained through npm pack, you can use a .npmrc file.

Using the Helm chart, add the .npmrc file to the NPM registry by creating a secret named dynamic-plugins-npmrc with the following content:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: dynamic-plugins-npmrc
type: Opaque
stringData:
  .npmrc: |
    registry=<registry-url>
    //<registry-url>:_authToken=<auth-token>
          ...

2.7. Basic configuration of dynamic plugins

Some dynamic plugins require environment variables to be set. If a mandatory environment variable is not set, and the plugin is enabled, then the application might fail at startup.

The mandatory environment variables for each plugin are listed in the Dynamic plugins support matrix.

Note

Zib-bomb detection When installing some dynamic plugin containing large files, if the installation script considers the package archive to be a Zib-Bomb, the installation fails.

To increase the maximum permitted size of a file inside a package archive, you can increase the MAX_ENTRY_SIZE environment value of the deployment install-dynamic-plugins initContainer from the default size of 20000000 bytes.

2.8. Installing and using Ansible plug-ins for Red Hat Developer Hub

Ansible plug-ins for Red Hat Developer Hub deliver an Ansible-specific portal experience with curated learning paths, push-button content creation, integrated development tools, and other opinionated resources.

Important

The Ansible plug-ins are a Technology Preview feature only.

Technology Preview features are not supported with Red Hat production service level agreements (SLAs), might not be functionally complete, and Red Hat does not recommend using them for production. These features provide early access to upcoming product features, enabling customers to test functionality and provide feedback during the development process.

For more information on Red Hat Technology Preview features, see Technology Preview Features Scope.

Additional detail on how Red Hat provides support for bundled community dynamic plugins is available on the Red Hat Developer Support Policy page.

2.8.1. For administrators

To install and configure the Ansible plugins, see Installing Ansible plug-ins for Red Hat Developer Hub.

2.8.2. For users

To use the Ansible plugins, see Using Ansible plug-ins for Red Hat Developer Hub.

2.9. Installation and configuration of Keycloak

The Keycloak backend plugin, which integrates Keycloak into Developer Hub, has the following capabilities:

  • Synchronization of Keycloak users in a realm.

  • Synchronization of Keycloak groups and their users in a realm.

2.9.1. For administrators

Installation

The Keycloak plugin is pre-loaded in Developer Hub with basic configuration properties. To enable it, set the disabled property to false as follows:

global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-keycloak-backend-dynamic
        disabled: false
Basic configuration

To enable the Keycloak plugin, you must set the following environment variables:

  • KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL

  • KEYCLOAK_LOGIN_REALM

  • KEYCLOAK_REALM

  • KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_ID

  • KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRET

Advanced configuration
Schedule configuration

You can configure a schedule in the app-config.yaml file, as follows:

     catalog:
       providers:
         keycloakOrg:
           default:
             # ...
             # highlight-add-start
             schedule: # optional; same options as in TaskScheduleDefinition
               # supports cron, ISO duration, "human duration" as used in code
               frequency: { minutes: 1 }
               # supports ISO duration, "human duration" as used in code
               timeout: { minutes: 1 }
               initialDelay: { seconds: 15 }
               # highlight-add-end
Note

If you have made any changes to the schedule in the app-config.yaml file, then restart to apply the changes.

Keycloak query parameters

You can override the default Keycloak query parameters in the app-config.yaml file, as follows:

   catalog:
     providers:
       keycloakOrg:
         default:
           # ...
           # highlight-add-start
           userQuerySize: 500 # Optional
           groupQuerySize: 250 # Optional
           # highlight-add-end

Communication between Developer Hub and Keycloak is enabled by using the Keycloak API. Username and password, or client credentials are supported authentication methods.

The following table describes the parameters that you can configure to enable the plugin under catalog.providers.keycloakOrg.<ENVIRONMENT_NAME> object in the app-config.yaml file:

Name Description Default Value Required

baseUrl

Location of the Keycloak server, such as https://localhost:8443/auth. Note that the newer versions of Keycloak omit the /auth context path.

""

Yes

realm

Realm to synchronize

master

No

loginRealm

Realm used to authenticate

master

No

username

Username to authenticate

""

Yes if using password based authentication

password

Password to authenticate

""

Yes if using password based authentication

clientId

Client ID to authenticate

""

Yes if using client credentials based authentication

clientSecret

Client Secret to authenticate

""

Yes if using client credentials based authentication

userQuerySize

Number of users to query at a time

100

No

groupQuerySize

Number of groups to query at a time

100

No

When using client credentials, the access type must be set to confidential and service accounts must be enabled. You must also add the following roles from the realm-management client role:

  • query-groups

  • query-users

  • view-users

Limitations

If you have self-signed or corporate certificate issues, you can set the following environment variable before starting Developer Hub:

NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0

Note

The solution of setting the environment variable is not recommended.

2.9.2. For users

Import of users and groups in Developer Hub using the Keycloak plugin

After configuring the plugin successfully, the plugin imports the users and groups each time when started.

Note

If you set up a schedule, users and groups will also be imported.

After the first import is complete, you can select User to list the users from the catalog page:

catalog-list

You can see the list of users on the page:

user-list

When you select a user, you can see the information imported from Keycloak:

user-profile

You can also select a group, view the list, and select or view the information imported from Keycloak for a group:

group-profile

2.10. Installation and configuration of Nexus Repository Manager

The Nexus Repository Manager plugin displays the information about your build artifacts in your Developer Hub application. The build artifacts are available in the Nexus Repository Manager.

Important

The Nexus Repository Manager plugin is a Technology Preview feature only.

Technology Preview features are not supported with Red Hat production service level agreements (SLAs), might not be functionally complete, and Red Hat does not recommend using them for production. These features provide early access to upcoming product features, enabling customers to test functionality and provide feedback during the development process.

For more information on Red Hat Technology Preview features, see Technology Preview Features Scope.

Additional detail on how Red Hat provides support for bundled community dynamic plugins is available on the Red Hat Developer Support Policy page.

2.10.1. For administrators

Installing and configuring the Nexus Repository Manager plugin
Installation

The Nexus Repository Manager plugin is pre-loaded in Developer Hub with basic configuration properties. To enable it, set the disabled property to false as follows:

global:
  dynamic:
    includes:
      - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
    plugins:
      - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-nexus-repository-manager
        disabled: false
Configuration
  1. Set the proxy to the desired Nexus Repository Manager server in the app-config.yaml file as follows:

    proxy:
        '/nexus-repository-manager':
        target: 'https://<NEXUS_REPOSITORY_MANAGER_URL>'
        headers:
            X-Requested-With: 'XMLHttpRequest'
            # Uncomment the following line to access a private Nexus Repository Manager using a token
            # Authorization: 'Bearer <YOUR TOKEN>'
        changeOrigin: true
        # Change to "false" in case of using self hosted Nexus Repository Manager instance with a self-signed certificate
        secure: true
  2. Optional: Change the base URL of Nexus Repository Manager proxy as follows:

    nexusRepositoryManager:
        # default path is `/nexus-repository-manager`
        proxyPath: /custom-path
  3. Optional: Enable the following experimental annotations:

    nexusRepositoryManager:
        experimentalAnnotations: true
  4. Annotate your entity using the following annotations:

    metadata:
        annotations:
        # insert the chosen annotations here
        # example
        nexus-repository-manager/docker.image-name: `<ORGANIZATION>/<REPOSITORY>`,

2.10.2. For users

Using the Nexus Repository Manager plugin in Developer Hub

The Nexus Repository Manager is a front-end plugin that enables you to view the information about build artifacts.

Prerequisites
Procedure
  1. Open your Developer Hub application and select a component from the Catalog page.

  2. Go to the BUILD ARTIFACTS tab.

    The BUILD ARTIFACTS tab contains a list of build artifacts and related information, such as VERSION, REPOSITORY, REPOSITORY TYPE, MANIFEST, MODIFIED, and SIZE.

    nexus-repository-manager-tab

2.11. Installation and configuration of Tekton

You can use the Tekton plugin to visualize the results of CI/CD pipeline runs on your Kubernetes or OpenShift clusters. The plugin allows users to visually see high level status of all associated tasks in the pipeline for their applications.

2.11.1. For administrators

Installation
Prerequsites
  • You have installed and configured the @backstage/plugin-kubernetes and @backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend dynamic plugins.

  • You have configured the Kubernetes plugin to connect to the cluster using a ServiceAccount.

  • The ClusterRole must be granted for custom resources (PipelineRuns and TaskRuns) to the ServiceAccount accessing the cluster.

    Note
    If you have the RHDH Kubernetes plugin configured, then the ClusterRole is already granted.
  • To view the pod logs, you have granted permissions for pods/log.

  • You can use the following code to grant the ClusterRole for custom resources and pod logs:

    kubernetes:
       ...
       customResources:
         - group: 'tekton.dev'
           apiVersion: 'v1'
           plural: 'pipelineruns'
         - group: 'tekton.dev'
           apiVersion: 'v1'
    
    
     ...
      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
      kind: ClusterRole
      metadata:
        name: backstage-read-only
      rules:
        - apiGroups:
            - ""
          resources:
            - pods/log
          verbs:
            - get
            - list
            - watch
        ...
        - apiGroups:
            - tekton.dev
          resources:
            - pipelineruns
            - taskruns
          verbs:
            - get
            - list

    You can use the prepared manifest for a read-only ClusterRole, which provides access for both Kubernetes plugin and Tekton plugin.

  • Add the following annotation to the entity’s catalog-info.yaml file to identify whether an entity contains the Kubernetes resources:

    annotations:
      ...
    
      backstage.io/kubernetes-id: <BACKSTAGE_ENTITY_NAME>
  • You can also add the backstage.io/kubernetes-namespace annotation to identify the Kubernetes resources using the defined namespace.

    annotations:
      ...
    
      backstage.io/kubernetes-namespace: <RESOURCE_NS>
  • Add the following annotation to the catalog-info.yaml file of the entity to enable the Tekton related features in RHDH. The value of the annotation identifies the name of the RHDH entity:

    annotations:
      ...
    
      janus-idp.io/tekton : <BACKSTAGE_ENTITY_NAME>
  • Add a custom label selector, which RHDH uses to find the Kubernetes resources. The label selector takes precedence over the ID annotations.

    annotations:
      ...
    
      backstage.io/kubernetes-label-selector: 'app=my-app,component=front-end'
  • Add the following label to the resources so that the Kubernetes plugin gets the Kubernetes resources from the requested entity:

    labels:
      ...
    
      backstage.io/kubernetes-id: <BACKSTAGE_ENTITY_NAME>
    Note
    When you use the label selector, the mentioned labels must be present on the resource.
Procedure
  • The Tekton plugin is pre-loaded in RHDH with basic configuration properties. To enable it, set the disabled property to false as follows:

    global:
      dynamic:
        includes:
          - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
        plugins:
          - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-tekton
            disabled: false

2.11.2. For users

Using the Tekton plugin in RHDH

You can use the Tekton front-end plugin to view PipelineRun resources.

Prerequisites
Procedure
  1. Open your RHDH application and select a component from the Catalog page.

  2. Go to the CI tab.

    The CI tab displays the list of PipelineRun resources associated with a Kubernetes cluster. The list contains pipeline run details, such as NAME, VULNERABILITIES, STATUS, TASK STATUS, STARTED, and DURATION.

    ci-cd-tab-tekton
  3. Click the expand row button besides PipelineRun name in the list to view the PipelineRun visualization. The pipeline run resource includes tasks to complete. When you hover the mouse pointer on a task card, you can view the steps to complete that particular task.

    ci-cd-tab-tekton

2.12. Enabling and configuring Argo CD plugin

You can use the Argo CD plugin to visualize the Continuous Delivery (CD) workflows in OpenShift GitOps. This plugin provides a visual overview of the application’s status, deployment details, commit message, author of the commit, container image promoted to environment and deployment history.

2.12.1. For administrators

Enabling Argo CD plugin
Prerequisites
  • Add Argo CD instance information to your app-config.yaml configmap as shown in the following example:

    argocd:
      appLocatorMethods:
        - type: 'config'
          instances:
            - name: argoInstance1
              url: https://argoInstance1.com
              username: ${ARGOCD_USERNAME}
              password: ${ARGOCD_PASSWORD}
            - name: argoInstance2
              url: https://argoInstance2.com
              username: ${ARGOCD_USERNAME}
              password: ${ARGOCD_PASSWORD}
  • Add the following annotation to the entity’s catalog-info.yaml file to identify the Argo CD applications.

    annotations:
      ...
      # The label that Argo CD uses to fetch all the applications. The format to be used is label.key=label.value. For example, rht-gitops.com/janus-argocd=quarkus-app.
    
      argocd/app-selector: '${ARGOCD_LABEL_SELECTOR}'
  • (Optional) Add the following annotation to the entity’s catalog-info.yaml file to switch between Argo CD instances as shown in the following example:

     annotations:
       ...
        # The Argo CD instance name used in `app-config.yaml`.
    
        argocd/instance-name: '${ARGOCD_INSTANCE}'
    Note

    If you do not set this annotation, the Argo CD plugin defaults to the first Argo CD instance configured in app-config.yaml.

Procedure
  1. Add the following to your dynamic-plugins ConfigMap to enable the Argo CD plugin.

    global:
      dynamic:
        includes:
          - dynamic-plugins.default.yaml
        plugins:
          - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/roadiehq-backstage-plugin-argo-cd-backend-dynamic
            disabled: false
          - package: ./dynamic-plugins/dist/janus-idp-backstage-plugin-argocd
            disabled: false

2.12.2. For Users

Prerequisites
  • You have enabled the Argo CD plugin in Red Hat Developer Hub RHDH.

Procedures
  1. Select the Catalog tab and choose the component that you want to use.

  2. Select the CD tab to view insights into deployments managed by Argo CD.

    CD tab Argo CD
  3. Select an appropriate card to view the deployment details (for example, commit message, author name, and deployment history).

    Sidebar
    1. Click the link icon (Link icon) to open the deployment details in Argo CD.

  4. Select the Overview tab and navigate to the Deployment summary section to review the summary of your application’s deployment across namespaces. Additionally, select an appropriate Argo CD app to open the deployment details in Argo CD, or select a commit ID from the Revision column to review the changes in GitLab or GitHub.

    Deployment summary
Additional resources