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Custom Domains Configuration

Backendless simplifies the process of securing your custom domains by automatically generating SSL certificates using Kubernetes' Cert-Manager. To validate the domain, Backendless employs the HTTP-01 challenge. For detailed information about challenges, visit Cert-Manager ACME Configuration Documentation.

Before proceeding to add a custom domain, ensure you have configured a Let's Encrypt certificate.

Adding a Let's Encrypt Issuer

Step 1: Access the Backendless PRO Manager

  1. Open your web browser.
  2. Navigate to the Backendless PRO Manager by entering:
    http://<public-ip>:5050
    Replace <public-ip> with the public IP address of your Backendless PRO installation.

Step 2: Navigate to the SSL Certificate Section

  1. In the Backendless PRO Manager interface, click on the Configuration tab in the top menu.
  2. Select Domains, then navigate to Ingress > Certificates. This will open the Certificates page for SSL certificate management.

Step 3: Add a New Certificate

  1. Click the Add button to create a new Production Let's Encrypt issuer.
  2. Enter your email address when prompted. This email will be used by Let's Encrypt to send notifications about certificate renewals and updates.

Certificates Page

Note: Backendless uses the HTTP-01 challenge, which requires an A record for DNS configuration. While a CNAME record may work in certain scenarios (e.g., hosting Backendless PRO on Amazon EC2 and managing domains with Route53), it is recommended to use an A record. Configuration using a CNAME record is your responsibility.

Managing Custom Domains

To manage custom domains for your application:

  1. Navigate to Manage > App Settings > Custom Domains in Backendless Console.
  2. Ensure your domain has an A record pointing to the public IP address of your Backendless PRO instance.

    Note: DNS record changes may take time to propagate.

  3. Enter your custom domain name in the designated field and click the Save button.

Custom Domain Management

Advanced Configuration

Backendless PRO uses nginx-ingress to manage custom domains. A Kubernetes ingress resource named bl-custom-domain-ingress is created for this purpose.

Investigating Issues or Customizing Behavior

  • To troubleshoot issues or add custom behaviors (e.g., custom certificates), edit the bl-custom-domain-ingress resource in Kubernetes.
  • Refer to the official NGINX Ingress Controller Documentation for more details on configuring ingress resources.

By understanding and leveraging these tools, you can securely configure and manage custom domains in your Backendless PRO environment.