Managing orphaned service instances Cloud Service Broker for Azure

Introduction

This topic is a comprehensive guide for using Tanzu Cloud Service Broker for Azure if you have service instances that belong to deactivated plans. It will:

Help you identify and manage instances that have become orphaned due to plan deactivation, ensuring that these instances remain secure and functional.
Raise awareness of the importance of maintaining security standards and minimizing the attack surface for orphaned service instances.
Give you practical strategies for handling these instances, including migration and transitioning to user-defined instances, in light of changes in service plan support and available features.
Discuss the implications of plan deactivation on your service instances and the necessary steps to prevent potential service disruptions or security vulnerabilities.
Guide you through checking for orphaned service instances by using specific command-line tools.

Essential commands for orphaned instance management

This section provides a concise summary of the commands and steps required for detecting orphaned service instances in the Tanzu Cloud Service Broker for Azure (CSB) and Cloud Foundry environments.

Detecting orphaned service instances

Install the upgrade-all-services CLI plug-in by running:

cf install-plugin -r CF-Community "UpgradeAllServices"

Check for orphaned instances by using the plug-in. Run this command to identify instances linked to deactivated plans:
```
cf upgrade-all-services <broker_name> -check-deactivated-plans
```
Review logs: Review the output of the plug-in to identify any instances that require attention.

If there are any service instances belonging to deactivated plans, it is essential to resolve these before attempting further upgrades of the Cloud Service Broker for Azure. See strategies for handling orphaned instances for more information.

Section 1: Overview of orphaned service instances

In the context of the CSB for Azure and Cloud Foundry environments, it’s essential to understand what constitutes orphaned service instances, why they occur, and the best practices for managing them.

What is an orphaned service instance?

Definition: An orphaned service instance refers to a service instance that Cloud Foundry recognizes as part of the CSB, but for which the CSB lacks the necessary information to manage effectively.
Implications: Having orphaned instances in your Cloud Foundry environment can lead to challenges in manageability, upgradeability, agility, and security:
- Manageability: These instances cannot have their configurations changed when required.
- Upgradeability: These instances cannot be upgraded when required.
- Agility: Management of these instances can become critical at inopportune moments.
- Security: Inability to manage these instances can pose significant security risks, especially in situations requiring immediate response.

Why do orphaned instances exist?

Service removal: Instances can become orphaned the service to which they belong is removed, either for strategic reasons or other considerations.
Plan removal: Instances can become orphaned by the removal of plans, either for strategic reasons or other considerations.
Custom plan changes: Upgrades in the CSB can lead to the removal of old custom plans, which can also cause orphaned instances.
Plan ID changes: Altering the Plan ID in the service catalog can lead to the treatment of existing resources as different, resulting in orphaned instances. This is because CSB views the modified plan ID as a new resource, disconnected from its original configuration and management context.

Recommended actions for orphaned instances

When the Cloud Service Broker for Azure is upgraded or configuration changes are made to plans, check for orphaned service instances. For more information, see detecting orphaned service instances.

Section 2: Identifying and managing orphaned service instances

This section provides guidance on identifying service instances that have become orphaned in CSB for Azure and Cloud Foundry environments. Addressing these instances is crucial for maintaining security, manageability, upgradeability, and agility.

Identifying orphaned service instances

Using CLI tools: Utilize Cloud Foundry CLI tools to identify orphaned instances.

CLI Cloud Foundry upgrade-all-services plug-in - Flag -check-deactivated-plans: This specific flag can be used to check for instances linked to deactivated plans.
For more information, see the following documentation:
Plug-in Installation: To further clarify the installation of the plug-in, the following code example is provided:
```
# Example code to demonstrate plugin installation
cf install-plugin -r CF-Community "UpgradeAllServices"
```

Example of execution: To further clarify the use of the plug-in, here is a code example:

# Example code to demonstrate plugin usage
cf upgrade-all-services <broker_name> -check-deactivated-plans

Example of log: To further clarify the use of the plug-in, here is an execution example:

✓ cf upgrade-all-services csb-broker-dev -check-deactivated-plans
2024-01-16T14:34:43Z: discovering service instances for broker: csb-broker-dev
2024-01-16T14:34:43Z: skipping instance: "mssql-dev" guid: "1fe84e95-21c0-4acd-9bd9-6f2796971e46" Deactivated Plan: "default" Offering: "csb-azure-mssql" Offering guid: "837f5ff6-5765-44a0-8b78-d7e3ebc8d428" Upgrade Available: false Last Operation Type: "create" State: "succeeded"
upgrade-all-services plugin failed: discovered deactivated plans associated with instances. Review the log to collect information and restore the deactivated plans or create user provided services

Section 3: Strategies for handling orphaned instances

Section 3 outlines the steps and strategies necessary for effectively managing and resolving issues related to orphaned service instances in CSB for Azure and Cloud Foundry environments.

Options for addressing newly orphaned instances

If an orphaned service instance was created with the current version of the Cloud Service Broker for Azure, you can resolve this by doing one of the following:

Move to a new plan: When a service instance belongs to a deactivated plan, you can update the service instance to be associated with a valid plan. First, identify a valid plan for the service instance, then issue a command to update the plan. Note that changing a plan might update the service instance properties to match the default properties of the new plan.
```
cf update-service SERVICE-INSTANCE-NAME -p NEW-PLAN-NAME
```
Where: - SERVICE-INSTANCE-NAME is the name of the service instance. - NEW-PLAN-NAME is the name of the valid plan that you have chosen.
Restore removed plans: You can choose to restore a plan that was removed. To do this, update the plan configuration in the tile. The plan must have the same name, ID, and properties as before. See configure services with Cloud Service Broker for Azure for more information.

Options for addressing historic orphaned instances

If an orphaned service instance was created with a previous version of the Cloud Service Broker for Azure, then it is not possible to resume management of the service instance with a later version of the Cloud Service Broker for Azure. In such cases, your options include:

Transitioning to a user-provided service instance: You can decide that you want to keep the service instance in Azure, but it will no longer be managed by the Cloud Service Broker for Azure. Instead it becomes a user-provided service instance.
- Obtain the credentials of the service instance from CredHub.
- Use the cf create-user-provided-service command to create a new service instance with the credentials.
- Bind Apps to the new user-provided service instance.
- Restart the Apps.
- Purge the orphaned service instance by using the cf purge-service-instance command.
Remove the service instance: You can decide to remove the service instance. To do this:
- Back up any data that you want to retain from the service instance. You could import this data into a newly created service instance if desired.
- Remove the service instance through the Azure console or CLI.
- Purge the service instance from CloudFoundry by using the cf purge-service-instance command.
- Log into the Cloud Service Broker for Azure app with cf ssh <app name> and then run the command app/cloud-service-broker purge <service instance id>. This removes data about the service instance and all binding from the Cloud Service Broker for Azure database.

Implications of ignoring orphaned instances

Neglecting orphaned instances during CSB updates can lead to an unhealthy environment.
Upgrade instructions for custom plans related to orphaned instances can become ineffective, necessitating manual migration.

Summary

We have addressed the crucial aspects of managing orphaned service instances within the Tanzu Cloud Service Broker for Azure and Cloud Foundry environments. The key takeaways include:

The significance of orphaned service instances

Orphaned instances defined: Disconnected service instances are those recognized by Cloud Foundry but cannot be managed by CSB due to missing information.
Risks and challenges: These instances pose significant risks in terms of manageability, upgradeability, agility, and security. Their presence can hinder system updates, configuration changes, and timely response to security threats.

Proactive steps and best practices

Identifying instances: Regularly use Cloud Foundry CLI tools to check for orphaned instances, especially use the UpgradeAllServices plug-in with the -check-deactivated-plans flag.
Root causes: Instances become orphaned primarily due to plan removals, changes in custom plans, or by altering plan IDs.
Effective management: Involves regular checks, database purge if necessary, and avoiding outdated methods like recreating plans to rejoin instances to the broker.

Resolution strategies

User-provided instances: Emphasize moving to user-provided instances or migrating data to new instances within the broker.
Avoid complications: If you ignore orphaned instances, especially during CSB updates, it can lead to an unhealthy environment and complicated upgrade processes.

Final thoughts

Managing orphaned service instances is an essential aspect of maintaining a secure, agile, and manageable cloud environment. By following these strategies and guidelines, you can ensure that your Cloud Foundry environments remain robust and responsive to changing needs and potential security risks.