The Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer is being updated to improve user experience – the Docker-containerised Security Server will be available as of February 22

A new, highly requested Security Server option will be soon available for the Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer. The Docker-containerised sidecar will suit both light and heavy-duty purposes and makes it possible to use cloud environment features. The finished production versions of the installation packages will be available free of charge from February 22.

What is a containerised Security Server?

The containerised Security Server Sidecar that utilises widely-used Docker technology is a new type of addition to the old existing Security Server options of the Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer. In containerisation, the software code and dependencies are packaged in one container, which means that interdependencies between different software become a non-issue.

In the Data Exchange Layer, this means that using a separate Host Server is no longer necessary and the Docker container can be run on any Linux platform.

What are the benefits of Security Server Sidecar?

Sidecar is a good option for an organisation that already uses container technology in its other services. Using a containerised sidecar, it is possible to deploy the Data Exchange Layer as a lightweight solution by setting up the sidecar on the same platform as the organisation's e-service, for example. A containerised sidecar can be placed in a data centre or cloud service.

Using cloud environments has many benefits, including built-in features and tools for service redundancy and data security. In addition, it is easy to increase the capacity of a Security Server in a cloud environment.

How can you deploy Security Server Sidecar?

We have developed a number of installation packages with a variety of features to help you choose the most appropriate one for your organization. Installation packages can be downloaded free of charge from the NIIS Docker Hub. Final production builds will be available 22 February 2021.

To support deployment and maintenance, we offer extensive documentation on GitHub. On GitHub, you can find descriptions of the installation packages and instructions for installing, configuring and technical maintenance of the Security Server. The instructions and examples apply to Kubernetes environments on the AWS cloud platform. Instructions on practices specific to the Data Exchange Layer will also be available for Suomi.fi Service Management.

Data Exchange Layer still under development

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for the development of the Data Exchange Layer. The Data Exchange Layer is based on X-Road® software, which is continuously developed by the Nordic Institute for Interoperability solutions (NIIS).

In the future, the Security Server Sidecar developed with NIIS will include the option to scale the need for capacity automatically, which will improve its cost effectiveness. This way, the Security Server will independently adjust to suddenly increased usage.

During the spring, we will also publish guidelines for convenient commands and scripts that make it easier to deploy and manage the Security Server.

Contact information

If you have any questions about Sidecar, please contact us by email at [email protected]

Read more

Presentation of Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer at Suomi.fi Service Management
Series of blog posts about X-Road® and containers by NIIS