---
sidebar_label: Container Apps
sidebar_position: 3
title: Deploying OPA on Azure Container Apps
---

Azure Container Apps provides a fully managed platform for deploying and scaling
containerized applications. It is well-suited for running off-the-shelf
software, such as OPA, handling scaling, networking, and infrastructure,
allowing you to focus on developing your applications.

This guide details the steps and considerations when deploying OPA as a Policy
Decision Point (PDP) on Azure Container Apps.


## Selecting a Container Image

It is recommended to use the `openpolicyagent/opa:<version>` variant available
on [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/openpolicyagent/opa). Users without
access to Docker Hub may need to mirror these images to a Azure Container
Registry.

:::warning
**Note**: Avoid using the `latest` tag in production environments.
:::


## Ingress, Authentication & Authorization Considerations

In Azure Container Apps, endpoints can be public or private to only Container
Apps. Since OPA typically handles requests from internal services (PEPs),
setting up a private endpoint is advisable where possible. For public endpoints,
use additional authentication mechanisms if Azure AD cannot be used.

While OPA’s primary role is providing authorization decisions as a PDP, OPA
itself should restrict access to ensure that only authorized PEPs can interact
with it.

If PEP applications are authenticated using Azure AD, their tokens can identify
them to OPA. Otherwise, consider using client certificates or tokens. Refer to
the [security documentation](../../security/)
for more information on securing OPA with tokens or certificates.


## CPU Scaling & Memory Allocation

OPA is lightweight, but to achieve low-latency responses in serverless
environments, it is recommended to configure Azure Container Apps with a minimum
of 1 OPA instance, using 1 vCPU and 2GB of memory.

:::warning
By default, Container Apps can scale to 0 instances, which may cause latency
issues for PEPs if not OPAs are running to serve requests.
:::

Increase memory allocation if substantial data needs to be loaded into OPA for
policy evaluations. Test deployments with realistic data and traffic to ensure
satisfactory production performance.


## Creating the OPA App

To deploy OPA to Container Apps, specify these settings in the initial revision
t create the app. In a later step, we'll create the secret for the OPA
configuration file and mount it into the container.

Throughout the following steps, we'll be using these values for the OPA
Container App. Replace the values with the details from your environment before
continuing to have the values set in the steps below.

<!-- markdownlint-disable MD044 -->
<!-- markdownlint-disable MD034 -->
<ParamProvider
  initialParams={{
    token: '7AnU3j1R1MQN9N...',
    image: 'openpolicyagent/opa:...',
  }}
>


The first step is to create a
[new Container App](https://portal.azure.com/#create/Microsoft.ContainerApp).
Use these values below to create the app and the first revision:


- Container app name: e.g. `opa` or some name in line with internal naming
  standards.
- Region: Choose the region where your PEP applications are hosted.
- Image source: Docker Hub or OPA image replicated to private registry.
- Container Image URL: <InlineEditable paramKey="image"/>
  Valid versions: e.g. `X.Y.Z` not `latest` or `vX.Y.Z`. Review the
  [OPA images](https://hub.docker.com/r/openpolicyagent/opa/tags) for a list of
  available versions.
- Use the argument override to run the server, and load the configuration file
  (note the commas):
  ```text
  run, --server, --addr=:8181, --config-file=/run/secrets/opa-config.yaml
  ```
- Ingress: OPA will be listening on port 8181, use this as the 'Target Port'
  when enabling ingress. Session affinity is not required.
- For 'Container resource allocation', use 1 vCPU and 2GB of memory.

Once created, the app will be deployed with the specified image. In the next
step we'll create an link the OPA configuration file as a secret mount.


## Loading OPA Configuration

OPA requires a configuration file specifying policy bundle locations. For secure
management, store the OPA configuration file as a secret in Azure Container
Apps. To define a secret, follow the steps in the
[Azure documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-apps/manage-secrets?tabs=azure-portal),
or refer to the CLI example below.

Create a file called `opa-conf.yaml` based on the
[configuration documentation](../../configuration).
Once you have the `opa-conf.yaml` file ready, we can create a new revision
referencing this secret.

Create a new revision and add a volume called `secrets`. Mount `opa-confif` at
`opa-config.yaml`. Then, select the OPA container and add a mount for `secrets`
at `/run/secrets`. This measn the OPA configuration file will be available at
`/run/secrets/opa-config.yaml` within the container, as specified in the
container definition above.

</ParamProvider>
