# consul (k8s)

Consul server cluster (DC `au-syd1`), deployed via the HashiCorp helm chart with
ACLs enabled (`default_policy: deny`, parity with the VM cluster).

## API access (ACL auth)

The HTTP API and UI are served on port 8500 behind the gateway at
`https://consul.k8s.syd1.au.unkin.net` (and `https://consul.service.consul`).
With ACLs enabled, requests beyond the anonymous policy require a token:

```bash
# management (bootstrap) token — seeded from Vault, synced by VSO into the
# consul-bootstrap-acl-token secret; same value as the VM cluster's
# initial_management token:
CONSUL_HTTP_TOKEN=$(vault kv get -field=token kv/kubernetes/namespace/consul/default/bootstrap-acl-token)

curl -H "X-Consul-Token: $CONSUL_HTTP_TOKEN" https://consul.k8s.syd1.au.unkin.net/v1/status/leader

# consul CLI:
CONSUL_HTTP_ADDR=https://consul.k8s.syd1.au.unkin.net CONSUL_HTTP_TOKEN=$CONSUL_HTTP_TOKEN consul members
```

The UI at the same hostname exposes an ACL login (top right) — paste a token.
Anonymous requests get the anonymous-token policy only (reads for DNS/service
discovery; no writes, no ACL/token APIs).

Prefer short-lived tokens minted by Vault's consul secrets engine over the
management token for day-to-day use; the terraform-* CI roles already work this
way.
