Connection Configuration

Connection to your servers is configured through CI secrets and optionally in servers.yml.

Connection String (Recommended)

The recommended way to configure server connections is using connection strings as CI secrets:


# Format: ENV_SERVERNAME_CONNECTION
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_CONNECTION=<base64-encoded JSON>
STAGING_STAGING_SERVER_CONNECTION=<base64-encoded JSON>

The connection string is a Base64-encoded JSON object containing:


{
  "host": "192.168.1.10",
  "port": 22,
  "user": "dockflow",
  "privateKey": "-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----\n...",
  "password": "optional-sudo-password"
}

The connection string is automatically generated during server setup with dockflow setup.

Individual Secrets

Alternatively, provide connection details as separate secrets:


# Required
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY=<SSH private key content>
 
# Optional (can be defined in servers.yml instead)
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_HOST=192.168.1.10
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_USER=dockflow
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_PORT=22
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_PASSWORD=<sudo password>

Combining with servers.yml

You can define partial connection info in servers.yml and override via CI secrets:


# servers.yml - host visible in config
servers:
  main_server:
    host: "192.168.1.10"  # Can be omitted if set via CI secret
    tags: [production]
    user: dockflow
    port: 22

Then only provide the SSH key via CI:


PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY=<key>

Or hide the host entirely via CI:


PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_HOST=10.0.0.50
PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY=<key>

Secret Naming Convention

Server names in CI secrets use underscores. A server named main_server uses MAIN_SERVER in the secret name.

Server Name	CI Secret Pattern
`main_server`	`PRODUCTION_MAIN_SERVER_*`
`replica_a`	`PRODUCTION_REPLICA_A_*`
`staging_server`	`STAGING_STAGING_SERVER_*`

Priority

Connection settings are resolved in this order (highest priority wins):

ENV_SERVERNAME_CONNECTION (full connection string)
ENV_SERVERNAME_HOST, ENV_SERVERNAME_USER, etc. (individual secrets)
servers.[name].host, servers.[name].user, etc. (servers.yml)
defaults.user, defaults.port (servers.yml defaults)