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Authentication in Weaviate (videos)

· 3 min read
Joon-Pil (JP) Hwang

Authentication in Weaviate

Overview​

Authentication is one of those topics that we get quite a few questions about. And we can see why. It's a big, complex topic, and even within Weaviate, there are many options available which can make it seem quite confusing.

The core concept of authentication is relatively simple. When a client (e.g. a Weaviate client) sends a request to a server (e.g. a Weaviate database), it includes a "secret" that provides some assurances to Weaviate as to who that request is coming from, so that it can operate on that information.

Conceptual diagram of sending a request with authentication credentials Conceptual diagram of sending a request with authentication credentials

In other words, the server can provide as much access as the particular user is allowed.

But balancing security with usability can be a tricky line to draw, as everybody has different needs and often use different systems.

So, we thought that this might be a good time to provide an overview of all things authentication in Weaviate. Also, we've recently introduced an API key-based authentication method, which we think might be a good balance of security and usability for many of you. Please check them out below.

Each video is only 3-6 minutes, and you do not need to watch them in order.
Tell us what you think!

We would love to know what you think of video content. Would you like to see more of them? Are there any particular types of videos you'd like more of?

Please let us know below or on YouTube, and we'll do our best to listen. 😁

Videos​

Introduction to authentication in Weaviate​


Timestamps​

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 0:13 What is authentication? & Key considerations
  • 0:58 Overview of available authentication options in Weaviate (anonymous / API key authentication / OIDC authentication)
  • 1:54 General Recommendations

Authentication: A client-side perspective​


Timestamps​

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 0:28 Getting authentication information from WCS
  • 2:10 Authenticating against Weaviate
  • 2:28 Anonymous access
  • 3:01 API key authentication
  • 3:45 OIDC (username+password) authentication
  • 4:21 Read-only key
  • 4:38 Authentication in action
  • 5:36 Wrap-up

Authentication: Key concepts​


Timestamps​

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 0:31 Anonymous access
  • 0:46 Authentication
  • 0:58 API key authentication
  • 1:04 OIDC authentication
  • 1:36 Authentication & Authorization
  • 1:52 A comparison of options
  • 2:09 Additional complexities in OIDC
  • 2:54 summary

Authentication: A server-side perspective​


Timestamps​

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 0:35 Weaviate without authentication
  • 1:39 Setting up API key access
  • 2:32 Enabling authorization (tiered access)
  • 3:46 Setting up OIDC access
  • 5:30 Enabling authorization with OIDC
  • 5:54 Summary
  • 6:02 Relevant environment variables

Read more:​

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