Configure the proxy: files, variables and precedence

Wanaku uses environment variables and two optional YAML files. It does not use a properties file. Set environment variables in the container orchestrator or systemd unit. Specify configuration files only when you need custom settings.

Configuration Sources (Precedence Order)

1. Environment variables — highest priority, always win
2. Runtime YAML files — loaded from CLI args (e.g., wanaku-server --pipeline-config pipeline.yaml --wanaku-config wanaku.yaml)
3. Embedded defaults — compiled into the binary

Which source to change

• Wanaku environment variables: listen addresses, persistence, the Admin UI override, header forwarding, and feature limits.
• Pipeline configuration file (pipeline.yaml): listeners, TLS, filter chains, and filter options.
• Wanaku configuration file (wanaku.yaml): forwards, credential bindings, connections, evaluators, action policies, and governance.

Development (Local Machine)

# No persistence, embedded UI, inference backend for LLMs
export WANAKU_PERSIST_BACKEND=none
export WANAKU_INFERENCE_UPSTREAM=http://localhost:11434
wanaku-server

Next steps

• Ports and endpoints: find the default addresses of each listener.
• Persist registry and revision state: keep the registry across restarts.
• Deploy Wanaku on Kubernetes and OpenShift: use the configuration in a cluster.