What is the purpose of TIMES_APP_URL?

[biltonbilmes]

Hi Team,

What is the purpose of TIMES_APP_URL environment variable in Guided Exercise: Accessing Containerized Network Services

[student@workstation ~]$ podman run --name cities-app \
--network cities -p 8090:8090 -d \
-e TIMES_APP_URL=http://times-app:8080/times \
registry.ocp4.example.com:8443/redhattraining/podman-info-cities:v0.1

[Chetan_Tiwary_]

Hello @biltonbilmes , thanks for reaching out!

This exercise uses two applications: times and cities. The times application returns the current time of a given city, and the cities application returns information about a specific city.

To fetch the current time of the city, the cities application fetches data from the times application.

Examine the source code of the applications here :  ~/DO188/labs/basics-exposing

[biltonbilmes]

can anyone please help?

[AleBenav]

Hi I think @Chetan_Tiwary_ try to respond you:

"...the cities application fetches data from the times application..."

That means that the application cities-app needs to use a reference or variable to the times-app. So that variable TIMES_APP_URL=http://times-app:8080/times is the referece from cities-app to times-app. It is the url that the cities-app will use to get data from times-app.

podman run --name cities-app \
--network cities -p 8090:8090 -d \
-e TIMES_APP_URL=http://times-app:8080/times \

Bests regardrs

[biltonbilmes]

may you can help me. How do I know the variable is 

TIMES_APP_URL

and Not 

MY_APP_URL

[Chetan_Tiwary_ · Accepted solution]

@biltonbilmes Ok I got your query now. The city app is a GO app that uses the env variable :

so thats why we have to supply that in step 4.1

I am going to file an improvement ticket to inform the learner about it in the GE.

Thank you for letting us know!

[biltonbilmes]

Thanks a lot, this was what i was asking. Because I'm coming from system admin background, I must know why and where to find the right details or i would assume, that i have not understood container theory correctly. Apparently is partly true because i failed EX188 in my first attempt.

The code which you shared is solid proof, that i missed this line. My Access to RHLS is going to be re-activated next week and i will double check with oil in my eyes..thanks again.

[Chetan_Tiwary_]

You're welcome @biltonbilmes !