Configure Kerberos Authentication for WebHCat

About this task

When security features are enabled on your MapR cluster and Kerberos is in use, communications between WebHCat and its clients can use Kerberos with SPNEGO.

To enable WebHCat to use Kerberos, complete the following steps on the node where WebHCat is installed.

Procedure

  1. Create the principal HTTP/<FQDN@REALM> for WebHCat and add the principal to the keytab file. For example: 
    kadmin: addprinc -randkey HTTP/<FQDN@REALM>
kadmin: xst -k /opt/mapr/HTTP.keytab HTTP/<FQDN>
  2. Verify the following:
    • The principal was added to the /opt/mapr/conf/HTTP.keytab file and that the file is only readable by the mapr user. For example: chown mapr /opt/mapr/conf/HTTP.keytab
    • The node where the WebHCat server is running has an HTTP user with a valid maprlogin password.
  3. Add the following section to the /opt/mapr/hive/hive-<version>/hcatalog/etc/webhcat/webhcat-site.xml file: 
    <property>
    <name>templeton.kerberos.secret</name>
    <value>secret value</value>
</property>
<property>
    <name>templeton.kerberos.principal</name>
    <value>HTTP/<FQDN@REALM></value>
</property>
<property>
    <name>templeton.kerberos.keytab</name>
    <value>/opt/mapr/conf/HTTP.keytab</value>
</property>
  4. Add the following section to the /opt/mapr/hadoop/hadoop-<version>/etc/hadoop/core-site.xml file: 
    <property>
      <name>hadoop.proxyuser.HTTP.groups</name>
      <value>*</value>
      <description>Allow the superuser mapr to impersonate any member of any group</description>
</property>
<property>
      <name>hadoop.proxyuser.HTTP.hosts</name>
      <value>*</value>
      <description>The superuser can connect from any host to impersonate a user</description>
</property>
  5. Start WebHCat. See Managing the WebHCat Server.
  6. To test if the connection is working, generate a Kerberos ticket with the kinit utility and then run the following command: 
    curl --negotiate -i -u : 'http://<FQDN>:50111/templeton/v1/ddl/database/'