Getting Started with Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnel

Introduction

In today's digital age, secure and reliable access to your applications is more important than ever. Docker, a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside containers, paired with Cloudflare's Zero Trust Tunnel, provides a robust solution for securing and managing access to your applications. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of installing Docker and setting up a Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnel.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have the following:

• A server or local machine running a Linux-based operating system (Ubuntu is a popular choice).
• Administrative (root) access to your machine.
• A Cloudflare account.

Step 1: Installing Docker

First things first, let's get Docker installed. Docker simplifies application deployment by using containers, which are lightweight, portable, and efficient.

1. Update Your System: Ensure your system is up-to-date.

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

2. Install Docker: Run the following commands to install Docker.

   sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common -y
   curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
   sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install docker-ce -y
   

3. Verify Docker Installation: Check if Docker is installed correctly.

   sudo systemctl status docker
   

   You should see Docker is active and running.

4. Manage Docker as a Non-Root User: Add your user to the Docker group.

   sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}
   

   Log out and log back in to apply the changes.

Step 2: Setting Up Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnel

Now that Docker is up and running, let's move on to setting up a Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnel. This tunnel will allow secure access to your applications without exposing them to the internet directly.

1. Install Cloudflare Tunnel: Download and install the Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel) client.

   sudo apt install cloudflared -y
   

2. Authenticate Cloudflare: Authenticate your Cloudflare account.

   cloudflared login
   

   This command will open a browser window asking you to log in to your Cloudflare account and select the domain you want to use.

3. Create a Tunnel: Create a new tunnel.

   cloudflared tunnel create my-tunnel
   

   This command generates a new tunnel and returns a tunnel ID.

4. Configure the Tunnel: Create a configuration file for the tunnel.

   sudo nano /etc/cloudflared/config.yml
   

   Add the following configuration to the file:

   tunnel: TUNNEL_ID
   credentials-file: /etc/cloudflared/TUNNEL_ID.json
   
   ingress:
     - hostname: example.com
       service: http://localhost:8000
     - service: http_status:404
   

   Replace TUNNEL_ID with the tunnel ID generated earlier and example.com with your domain name.

5. Run the Tunnel: Start the tunnel using Docker.

   docker run -v /etc/cloudflared:/etc/cloudflared cloudflare/cloudflared:latest tunnel --config /etc/cloudflared/config.yml run
   

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've successfully installed Docker and set up a Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnel. This combination ensures that your applications are securely containerized and accessible only through a secure tunnel. It's a powerful setup for anyone looking to enhance their application's security and manageability. Happy computing!