HTTP POST request to external gateway from Azure runtime module - azure

Question

I am working on Azure edge module where I created a custom module that actually received a message from another module within edge runtime.
My requirement is to send data to an external gateway(example thingsboard) over the HTTP post method. In docker file, expose 80 port and bind with local machine 80 port.
The problem is whenever I tried to send message from a custom module to external gateway(thingsboards) using the HTTP post method, getting an error of HTTP 500.
If I run the container directly(not under the edge runtime) is working fine.
As my code in container want to send message to external world(external device or gateway) over internet. I am sending message to thingsboard (http://demo.thingsboard.io/api/v1/camera/telemetry).
Edge deployment manifest:
{
"modulesContent": {
"$edgeAgent": {
"properties.desired": {
"schemaVersion": "1.0",
"runtime": {
"type": "docker",
"settings": {
"minDockerVersion": "v1.25",
"loggingOptions": "",
"registryCredentials": {
"cameraedgedev": {
"username": "username",
"password": "password",
"address": "cameraedgedev.azurecr.io"
}
}
}
},
"systemModules": {
"edgeAgent": {
"type": "docker",
"settings": {
"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/azureiotedge-agent:1.0",
"createOptions": "{}"
}
},
"edgeHub": {
"type": "docker",
"status": "running",
"restartPolicy": "always",
"settings": {
"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/azureiotedge-hub:1.0",
"createOptions": "{\"HostConfig\":{\"PortBindings\":{\"5671/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"5671\"}],\"8883/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"8883\"}],\"443/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"443\"}],\"8082/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"8082\"}]}}}"
}
}
},
"modules": {
"lvaEdge": {
"version": "1.0",
"type": "docker",
"status": "running",
"restartPolicy": "always",
"settings": {
"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/media/live-video-analytics:2",
"createOptions": "{\"HostConfig\":{\"PortBindings\":{\"8082/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"8082\"}]},\"LogConfig\":{\"Type\":\"\",\"Config\":{\"max-size\":\"10m\",\"max-file\":\"10\"}},\"Binds\":[\"/var/media:/var/media/\",\"/var/lib/azuremediaservices:/var/lib/azuremediaservices\"]}}"
}
},
"rtspsim": {
"version": "1.0",
"type": "docker",
"status": "running",
"restartPolicy": "always",
"settings": {
"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/lva-utilities/rtspsim-live555:1.2",
"createOptions": "{\"HostConfig\":{\"Binds\":[\"/home/cameraedgevm_user/samples/input:/live/mediaServer/media\"]}}"
}
},
"lvaSupport": {
"version": "1.0",
"type": "docker",
"status": "running",
"restartPolicy": "always",
"settings": {
"image": "cameraedgedev.azurecr.io/lvasupport:1.2",
"createOptions": "{\"HostConfig\":{\"PortBindings\":{\"80/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"80\"}]}}}"
}
},
"ai_module": {
"version": "1.0",
"type": "docker",
"status": "running",
"restartPolicy": "always",
"env": {
"PYTHONUNBUFFERED": {
"value": "1"
},
"NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES": {
"value": "all"
}
},
"settings": {
"image": "cameraedgedev.azurecr.io/ai_module:1.2",
"createOptions": "{\"HostConfig\":{\"Runtime\":\"nvidia\",\"PortBindings\":{\"8082/tcp\":[{\"HostPort\":\"8082\"}]},\"Binds\":[\"/home/cameraedgevm_user/ai_module/data:/ai_module/data/\"]}}"
}
}
}
}
},
"$edgeHub": {
"properties.desired": {
"schemaVersion": "1.0",
"routes": {
"LVAToHub": "FROM /messages/modules/lvaEdge/outputs/* INTO $upstream",
"LVATolvaSupportModule": "FROM /messages/modules/lvaEdge/outputs/* INTO BrokeredEndpoint(\"/modules/lvaSupport/inputs/input1\")"
},
"storeAndForwardConfiguration": {
"timeToLiveSecs": 7200
}
}
},
"lvaEdge": {
"properties.desired": {
some properties
}
},
"lvaSupport": {
"properties.desired": {
"Gateway": "http://demo.thingsboard.io/api/v1/camera/telemetry",
"gatewayMethod": "POST"
}
}
}
}
How should I resolve this problem?
How can i send message to external gateway
Thanks.

Answer 1

By default, your modules in Azure IoT Edge will be able to access the internet, unless the configuration was changed, or a firewall is in place that restricts you from reaching thingsboards.io To verify if your module can reach that URL, you can try the following:
docker run -i --rm -p 80:80 --network="azure-iot-edge" alpine ping thingsboard.io
This will run a container on the same Docker network as your modules and see if you can resolve the URL.
You mentioned the HTTP status code 500, which indicates that a server (from Thingsboard) is having an issue with your request. Because you mentioned that this works if you just run the container manually, this could be because your payload is different when you run your module in the Azure IoT Edge runtime. An easy way to find out is to use logging to check what you're sending to Thingsboard in each scenario.
Note: in your question, you said
In docker file, expose 80 port and bind with local machine 80 port
This is only needed if you want your module to accept incoming requests over port 80. For outgoing requests (such as messages to Thingsboard) this is not needed.