The passthrough authentication system in Gloo Gateway is designed to allow requests to be authenticated by an external service, which can be particularly useful when integrating with models like DeepSeek-R1. Here's how it works:
Overview of Passthrough Auth
Passthrough authentication in Gloo Gateway enables you to leverage external authentication services without needing to integrate them directly into Gloo. This is beneficial for maintaining flexibility and avoiding the need to recompile plugins with each Gloo version update[1][4].
Types of Passthrough Auth
Gloo Gateway supports two primary types of passthrough authentication:
1. gRPC Passthrough Auth: This involves using an external gRPC service that implements Envoy's Authorization Service API. It allows for custom logic in the external service while still utilizing other Gloo Gateway authentication mechanisms like OIDC or API keys[1][4].
2. HTTP Passthrough Auth: This method uses an external HTTP service for authentication. It provides similar benefits to gRPC but uses HTTP protocols instead[1][8].
Implementing Passthrough Auth with DeepSeek-R1
When integrating DeepSeek-R1 with Gloo Gateway, you can use passthrough authentication to secure access to the model without exposing API keys directly. Hereâs how you might implement it:
Steps for Implementation
1. Set Up an External Auth Service: Create an external authentication service (either gRPC or HTTP) that will handle authentication requests. This service should be capable of validating credentials or tokens for accessing DeepSeek-R1.
2. Configure Gloo Gateway: Use Gloo Gateway's `AuthConfig` to point to your external authentication service. For gRPC, specify the address of the gRPC service, and for HTTP, provide the URL of the HTTP auth server[4][8].
3. Apply Authentication Configuration: Use Kubernetes to apply the authentication configuration to Gloo Gateway. This involves creating an `AuthConfig` resource that specifies the passthrough authentication settings[4][8].
4. Route Requests: Configure Gloo Gateway to route requests to DeepSeek-R1 only after successful authentication by the external service. This ensures that unauthorized requests are blocked.
Benefits and Considerations
- Benefits: Passthrough authentication allows for custom authentication logic without modifying Gloo Gateway itself. It also supports multiple authentication methods simultaneously, such as OIDC alongside custom logic[1][6].
- Considerations: While passthrough auth provides flexibility, it introduces an additional network hop, which can increase latency. Additionally, if the external service fails or times out, Gloo can be configured to fail "open" by setting `failureModeAllow` to `true`, allowing requests to proceed even if authentication fails[4][8].
Security with DeepSeek-R1
When using DeepSeek-R1, implementing robust security measures is crucial to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance. Gloo Gateway's passthrough authentication can help by:
- Securing Access: Ensure that only authorized requests reach DeepSeek-R1 by using secure authentication mechanisms.
- Data Protection: Implement additional guardrails to monitor and control data sent to and received from DeepSeek-R1, ensuring that sensitive information is not compromised[2][5].
By leveraging Gloo Gateway's passthrough authentication capabilities, you can securely integrate DeepSeek-R1 into your applications while maintaining control over access and data flow.
Citations:
[1] https://docs.solo.io/gloo-edge/latest/guides/security/auth/extauth/passthrough_auth/
[2] https://www.solo.io/blog/navigating-deepseek-r1-security-concerns-and-guardrails
[3] https://devops-scanner.com
[4] https://docs.solo.io/gloo-edge/latest/guides/security/auth/extauth/passthrough_auth/grpc/
[5] https://www.bigdatawire.com/this-just-in/solo-io-releases-gloo-ai-gateway-to-optimize-ai-deployment-and-ensure-governance-controls/
[6] https://docs.solo.io/gloo-mesh-gateway/main/security/external-auth/passthrough/
[7] https://www.solo.io/resources/video/demo-video-navigating-deepseek-r1-security-concerns-and-guardrails
[8] https://docs.solo.io/gloo-edge/latest/guides/security/auth/extauth/passthrough_auth/http/
[9] https://www.together.ai/models/deepseek-r1