Add Credential Files to Configuration Node

[Flachmann]

Hi,

I developed my first configuration node, following Configuration nodes.

Similar to the MQTT node, I need to store TLS certificates. So, in the mask it is e.g.
<input type="file" id="node-config-input-rootCrt">

And as usual in defaults i guess
rootCrt: { value: '' },

But once I select a file and close the dialog, Node-RED don't let me open the configuration any more.
I think I have to handle file attachments differently. But how? What's Node-RED's way to upload a file and store it in the configuration?

At the end I need the certificate as a buffer.
Any hint on this?

[knolleary]

Could you just use the core TLS config (tls-config) node rather than reimplement it? It was written to be a generally reusable config node for anything that needs TLS configuration.

If for some reasons you really need to do your own thing, then have a look at the source of the TLS node to see how it handles file upload of TLS certs.

node-red/node-red/blob/master/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/05-tls.html

[Flachmann]

Everything is better than re-inventing the wheel.
I didn't know this config and will give it a try.

[Flachmann]

May I ask you for another advice, please?

I now have a definition for TLS in the defaults of my configuration node:
tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }

The dialog opens, allows me to select and store my certificates. Very well, I now have a new tls configuration node, that is internally linked to my own configuration node. But how can I access it and especially retrieve the buffered certification data?

RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);

this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);

this.conf now has all other configuration fields.

I'd expected, that the tls definition should be something in this.conf.tls, to that I can access its configuration again via
this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(this.conf.tls);

But this.conf.tls is nothing. so, looks like this link is done somehow different.

[ralphwetzel]

If you defined defaults as

        defaults: {
            name: { value: '', required:true },
            tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }
        },

you should be able to access this with

RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
let tls_config = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);
console.log(tls_config); // log the properties of the tls-config node

I'm yet questioning the fact that

@Flachmann

this.conf now has all other configuration fields.

What's the definition of database in your node's config?

[Flachmann]

Thanks Ralph,

yes, my defaults looks like in your example. I have additional fields like 'data', but I didn't want to spoil the example. But probably I didn't explain myself very well.

So, I have a node "createRecords". That's the one that is supposed to do the work and appears in the flow as a node. It internally references a configuration node for the database, or server to access.
So in "createRecords":

defaults: {
	name: { value: '' },
	database: { value: '', type: 'my-server' },
	data: { value: '' }
}

"my-server" is a configuration node containing server address, port etc. It also contains a configuration node of "tls-config":

category: 'config',
defaults: {
	name: { value: '' },
	server: { value: 'localhost', required: true },
	port: { value: '1234', required: true, validate: RED.validators.number() },
	tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }
}

This works so far. I can define all data. For TLS a separate configuration mask opens and let me select my certificates. I can save, deploy and re-open. The list of configuration nodes now shows one definition of 'my-server' and one of 'tls-config'. - Looks fine to me.

So, execution in createRecords.js is what stopps me now:

module.exports = function (RED) {
	function createRecordsNode(config) {
        	RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
		this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);  // access to 'my-server'
		node.warn(this.conf.server);                     // message of server content
		this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(this.conf.tls);     // is undefined

[knolleary]

Change the last line to:

this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);  

[Flachmann]

Thanks Nick, I now have:

this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);
this.warn(this.conf.server);
this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);
this.warn(this.tls);

this.tls is null. It should be at least [object Object] (or at least something with content). I think it's null in this particular case, because config is linked to "createRecords" and does not have field "tls". As mentioned: I have a TLS configuration in "my-server" as it belongs to the "my-server"-definition.

It's similar to the "mqtt"-node: mqtt allows to select/define a "mqtt-broker", that than allows to select/define a "tls-config".
For me it's a "createRecords"-node: it allows to select/define a "my-server", than than allows to select/define a "tls-config".

"tls-config" is logically part of "my-server", like it is to "mqtt-broker". This is why I thought that I simply use this.conf.tls to fetch the "tls-config". But unfortunate it's not defined.

The TLS field is part of the configuration node of "my-server" and therefore the field is created with -config-. Like this:
<input type="text" id="node-config-input-tls">

---

(enhancment) I just opened the JSON definition of the flow. The 'my-server' definition looks like this:

{
	"id": "e3aabbb8aea8cc4e",
	"type": "my-server",
	"name": "Test Server",
	"server": "localhost",
	"port": "1234",
	"tls": "d422a1a578db850c"
},

There is a field "tls" pointing to the correct definition:

{
	"id": "d422a1a578db850c",
	"type": "tls-config",
	"name": "Test Certs",
	"cert": "",
	"key": "",
	"ca": "",
	"certname": "Client.crt",
	"keyname": "Client.key",
	"caname": "RootCA.crt",
	"servername": "",
	"verifyservercert": true,
	"alpnprotocol": ""
}

So, how can I get id "d422a1a578db850c" from the "my-server" configuration node, if "tls" returns nothing?

[ralphwetzel]

@Flachmann

So, how can I get id "d422a1a578db850c" from the "my-server" configuration node, if "tls" returns nothing?

That's not what you're doing:

@Flachmann

this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);

This tries to get the node who's id is config.tls - which returns undefined.
I'm pretty convinced though, that node.warn(config.tls) will give you the shown id. It looks like the (second) config node yet was not created so far...

[Flachmann]

Hi Ralph,

no, the two configuration nodes are in the flows.json exactly as shown above (my previous note before, right after enhancement)! There you see, that "my-server" contains a reference to "tls" with value "d422a1a578db850c".

When printing out the config.

this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);
this.warn(JSON.stringify(this.conf));

This is what I get. There is no tsl in the object and therefore it can't be opened:

{
    "id": "e3aabbb8aea8cc4e",
    "type": "my-server",
    "_closeCallbacks": [],
    "_inputCallback": null,
    "_inputCallbacks": null,
    "name": "Test Server",
    "wires": [],
    "_wireCount": 0,
    "server": "localhost",
    "port": "1234",
}

@ralphwetzel

'm pretty convinced though, that node.warn(config.tls) will give you the shown id. It looks like the (second) config node yet was not created so far...

So, how can I create it? It is in flows.json, it is linked to "my-server", I can open and modify via the masks, but I cannot not receive it in Javascript.

[Flachmann]

Ok, after all I found the reason. It must have been something very simple.
Silly me: I forgot to list the tls-config field to the registration.

this.server = config.server || 'localhost';
this.port = config.port || '1234';
this.tls = config.tls;  // this was missing  :-(

Thanks a lot to Ralph and Nick for you help. Really appreciate this.