Bold BI Deployment Using Reverse Proxy Setup

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This article provides a universal guide to deploying Bold BI in various environments (Windows, Linux, Docker, or Kubernetes) and exposing it securely and publicly via an Nginx reverse proxy hosted on a Linux VM.

Prerequisites

VM or Kubernetes cluster for installing Bold BI (Windows, Linux, Docker, or Kubernetes).
Linux VM for setting up the reverse proxy using Nginx.
Internal network access from the Nginx VM to the Bold BI® hosted resource.
(Optional) A domain and valid SSL certificate for secure access.

Setup and Deployment

Step 1: Install Bold BI on Host Machine

Follow the appropriate guide:

Windows: Install Bold BI on Windows
Linux: Install Bold BI on Linux
Docker: Install Bold BI on Docker
Kubernetes: Install Bold BI on Kubernetes

For example, the Bold BI application is configured with the following domain:

http://ip-address  or  https://host-url

💡 Kubernetes Note
If Bold BI® is deployed on Kubernetes, run the command below to register your reverse proxy DNS with the Nginx Ingress:

kubectl annotate ingress bold-ingress -n <your-namespace> nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/server-alias="<your-reverse-proxy-domain>" --overwrite

Step 2: Install Nginx on Linux VM

Update the package list and install Nginx on the second machine:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
```

Step 3: Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

Navigate to the Nginx configuration directory:
```
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available
```
Remove any default Nginx configuration files that may be present from the above location.

Create a new configuration file (e.g., boldbi-nginx) for the Bold BI application with the following settings. Ensure to replace the placeholder with the actual public address of the Bold BI application:

 server {
     listen 80 default_server;
  
     #listen 443 ssl;
     #server_name example.com;
  
     #ssl_certificate /path/to/certificate/file/domain.crt;
     #ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key/file/domain.key;
  
     location / {
         proxy_pass http://ip-address;    # Replace with your machine/public address used for the Bold BI application
         #proxy_set_header Host example.com; 
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
         proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
     }
 }

If you have an SSL certificate for your domain and need to configure the site with it, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the directory /etc/nginx/sites-available/ and open the file boldbi-nginx in a text editor.
- Uncomment the marked lines in the Nginx config file.
- Comment the marked line in the Nginx config file.
- Replace example.com with your reverse proxy URL.
- Define the path of the SSL certificate: ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/domain.crt;.
- Specify the directory where the SSL certificate key is located: ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/domain.key;.
  
  Refer the below image for the SSL configuration changes:

Step 4: Create Symbolic Link

Create a symbolic link for the new configuration file in the sites-enabled directory. For example, if the file name is boldbi-nginx, use the following command:
```
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/boldbi-nginx /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/boldbi-nginx
```

Step 5: Test Configuration and Restart Nginx

Check the Nginx configuration syntax:
```
sudo nginx -t
```
If the syntax is correct, reload the Nginx server:
```
sudo nginx -s reload
```

After completing these steps, the Bold BI application will also be accessible via the reverse proxy URL.

Step 6: Update Reverse Proxy URL on the Bold BI Admin Page

After entering the reverse proxy, it will prompt to proceed with the login. Once logged in, navigate to the administration page.
Example:
```
https://<your-reverse-proxy-domain>/ums/administration/proxy-settings
```
Update the reverse proxy URL and save the changes using the save option.

Step 7: Restart the Bold BI Application Service

After updating the reverse proxy URL, restart the Bold BI application by following the instructions provided in this documentation: How to restart the Bold BI® application

Additional References

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Written by Mohamed Asme John Samsudeen

Updated:

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