Configure DNS and CDN with Bloomreach Cloud

Overview

Bloomreach Cloud includes Cloudflare CDN by default, and Bloomreach configures it during setup. For standard domain configuration, see Configure domains.

When to Use This Guide

Use this guide if you have a use case that is not supported by the default Bloomreach Cloud CDN configuration. This guide explains how to enable Cloudflare CDN integration and DDoS protection with the Bloomreach Cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution.
You must have purchased Cloudflare CDN support separately from your Bloomreach Cloud service.

When using Bloomreach Cloud and Cloudflare, configure your DNS settings for both production and CMS domains.

Background

This guide outlines the process for integrating Cloudflare with a brXM implementation based on HST. If you use a different CDN, or if you host your site with a third-party provider, contact Bloomreach Professional Services for assistance.

Image Caching with Cloudflare

Cloudflare caches images and other static assets, such as CSS and JavaScript files. Cloudflare requires URLs to end with a valid file extension (for example, https://foo.org/monkey.jpg).
If a file extension is followed by a path, Cloudflare will not cache the asset.
To ensure correct image configuration, see Custom Resource Containers.

Steps to Enable Cloudflare CDN Integration with Bloomreach Cloud

The following steps use www.example.com as an example domain. Adjust the instructions for your specific domains.
These steps provide general guidance and may not cover all scenarios. For additional support, contact Bloomreach Support.

Create SSL certificates for your domain
- Obtain a wildcard or subdomain SSL certificate for www.example.com.
- SSL certificates are required for configuration with Bloomreach Cloud.
- For details on preparing and sharing SSL certificates, see Provide SSL Certificates.
Submit your SSL certificates
- Contact Bloomreach Support and provide the SSL certificates for your Bloomreach Cloud stack.
Certificate installation
- Bloomreach Support installs your certificates on your Bloomreach Cloud stack.
Add the Cloudflare TXT record
- Bloomreach Support generates a Cloudflare TXT record that you must add to your DNS server.
- Example TXT record:
```
Record Type: TXT
Name: cloudflare-verify.example.com
Content: 748849389-259989658
```
Add the Cloudflare CNAME record
- After Cloudflare verifies the DNS entry, Bloomreach Support provides a CNAME record to add to your DNS server.
- Example CNAME record:
```
Record Type: CNAME
Name: www.example.com
Content: www.example.com.cdn.cf.net
```
Configure host properties in brXM
- After DNS entries are verified, configure the host properties for your sites running on Bloomreach Cloud.
- See Configure Virtual Hosts for configuration steps.
- Update host files in the brXM distribution and the brXM Console to match your domains (for example, www.example.com).
Manage domains in Mission Control
- Manage your domains and custom subdomains in the Bloomreach Cloud PaaS Mission Control UI.
- For instructions, see Configure Domains.
Map environments to domains in Mission Control
- In Mission Control, go to Mission Control > Domains and map each environment to the appropriate domains.
- Configure both Site and CMS domains.
- Use the following format:
  - www.example.com for the site
  - cms.example.com for the CMS
- Important: Do not use the default URLs generated by Bloomreach Cloud for production. Apply this rule to both Site and CMS URLs.
Test configuration in non-production environments
- Before deploying to production, perform all configuration steps in test and staging environments.
- Verify that host configuration, domain setup, and Mission Control environment-to-domain mapping work as expected.