
This guide will help you to:
- Install Teleport
12.1.1
. - Set up Teleport to access your ElastiCache and MemoryDB for Redis clusters.
- Connect to your clusters through Teleport.

Prerequisites
-
A running Teleport cluster. For details on how to set this up, see one of our Getting Started guides.
-
The
tctl
admin tool andtsh
client tool version >= 12.1.1.tctl versionTeleport v12.1.1 go1.19
tsh versionTeleport v12.1.1 go1.19
See Installation for details.
-
A running Teleport cluster. For details on how to set this up, see our Enterprise Getting Started guide.
-
The Enterprise
tctl
admin tool andtsh
client tool version >= 12.1.1, which you can download by visiting the customer portal.tctl versionTeleport Enterprise v12.1.1 go1.19
tsh versionTeleport v12.1.1 go1.19
Please use the latest version of Teleport Enterprise documentation.
- AWS account with at least one ElastiCache or MemoryDB for Redis clusters In-transit encryption via (TLS) must be enabled.
- Permissions to create and attach IAM policies.
redis-cli
version6.2
or newer installed and added to your system'sPATH
environment variable.- A host, e.g., an EC2 instance, where you will run the Teleport Database Service.
To connect to Teleport, log in to your cluster using tsh
, then use tctl
remotely:
tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com [email protected]tctl statusCluster teleport.example.com
Version 12.1.1
CA pin sha256:abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678
You can run subsequent tctl
commands in this guide on your local machine.
For full privileges, you can also run tctl
commands on your Auth Service host.
To connect to Teleport, log in to your cluster using tsh
, then use tctl
remotely:
tsh login --proxy=myinstance.teleport.sh [email protected]tctl statusCluster myinstance.teleport.sh
Version 12.1.1
CA pin sha256:sha-hash-here
You must run subsequent tctl
commands in this guide on your local machine.
Step 1/6. Create a Teleport user
To modify an existing user to provide access to the Database Access service, see Database Access Access Controls
Create a local Teleport user with the built-in access
role:
tctl users add \ --roles=access \ --db-users=\* \ --db-names=\* \ alice
Flag | Description |
---|---|
--roles | List of roles to assign to the user. The builtin access role allows them to connect to any database server registered with Teleport. |
--db-users | List of database usernames the user will be allowed to use when connecting to the databases. A wildcard allows any user. |
--db-names | List of logical databases (aka schemas) the user will be allowed to connect to within a database server. A wildcard allows any database. |
Database names are only enforced for PostgreSQL and MongoDB databases.
For more detailed information about database access controls and how to restrict access see RBAC documentation.
Step 2/6. Create a Database Service configuration
The Database Service requires a valid auth token to connect to the cluster. Generate
one by running the following command against your Teleport Auth Service and save
it in /tmp/token
on the node that will run the Database Service:
tctl tokens add --type=db
Install Teleport on the host where you will run the Teleport Database Service:
Use the appropriate commands for your environment to install your package.
Teleport Edition
Add the Teleport repository to your repository list:
Download Teleport's PGP public key
sudo curl https://apt.releases.teleport.dev/gpg \-o /usr/share/keyrings/teleport-archive-keyring.ascSource variables about OS version
source /etc/os-releaseAdd the Teleport APT repository for v12. You'll need to update this
file for each major release of Teleport.
Note: if using a fork of Debian or Ubuntu you may need to use '$ID_LIKE'
and the codename your distro was forked from instead of '$ID' and '$VERSION_CODENAME'.
Supported versions are listed here: https://github.com/gravitational/teleport/blob/master/build.assets/tooling/cmd/build-os-package-repos/runners.go#L42-L67
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/teleport-archive-keyring.asc] \https://apt.releases.teleport.dev/${ID?} ${VERSION_CODENAME?} stable/v12" \| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/teleport.list > /dev/nullsudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install teleport
Source variables about OS version
source /etc/os-releaseAdd the Teleport YUM repository for v12. You'll need to update this
file for each major release of Teleport.
Note: if using a fork of RHEL/CentOS or Amazon Linux you may need to use '$ID_LIKE'
and the codename your distro was forked from instead of '$ID'
Supported versions are listed here: https://github.com/gravitational/teleport/blob/master/build.assets/tooling/cmd/build-os-package-repos/runners.go#L133-L153
sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo $(rpm --eval "https://yum.releases.teleport.dev/$ID/$VERSION_ID/Teleport/%{_arch}/stable/v12/teleport.repo")sudo yum install teleportTip: Add /usr/local/bin to path used by sudo (so 'sudo tctl users add' will work as per the docs)
echo "Defaults secure_path = /sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin" > /etc/sudoers.d/secure_path
Optional: Use DNF on newer distributions
$ sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.teleport.dev/teleport.repo
$ sudo dnf install teleport
In the example commands below, update $SYSTEM-ARCH
with the appropriate
value (amd64
, arm64
, or arm
). All example commands using this variable
will update after one is filled out.
curl https://get.gravitational.com/teleport-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gz.sha256<checksum> <filename>
curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzshasum -a 256 teleport-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzVerify that the checksums match
tar -xvf teleport-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzcd teleportsudo ./install
In the example commands below, update $SYSTEM-ARCH
with the appropriate
value (amd64
, arm64
, or arm
). All example commands using this variable
will update after one is filled out.
After Downloading the .deb
file for your system architecture, install it with
dpkg
. The example below assumes the root
user:
dpkg -i ~/Downloads/teleport-ent_12.1.1_$SYSTEM-ARCH.debSelecting previously unselected package teleport-ent.
(Reading database ... 30810 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack teleport-ent_12.1.1_$SYSTEM_ARCH.deb ...
Unpacking teleport-ent 12.1.1 ...
Setting up teleport-ent 12.1.1 ...
After Downloading the .rpm
file for your system architecture, install it with rpm
:
rpm -i ~/Downloads/teleport-ent-12.1.1.$SYSTEM-ARCH.rpmwarning: teleport-ent-12.1.1.$SYSTEM-ARCH.rpm: Header V4 RSA/SHA512 Signature, key ID 6282c411: NOKEY
curl https://get.gravitational.com/teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gz.sha256<checksum> <filename>
curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzshasum -a 256 teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzVerify that the checksums match
tar -xvf teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-bin.tar.gzcd teleport-entsudo ./install
For FedRAMP/FIPS-compliant installations of Teleport Enterprise, package URLs will be slightly different:
curl https://get.gravitational.com/teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-fips-bin.tar.gz.sha256<checksum> <filename>
curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-fips-bin.tar.gzshasum -a 256 teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-fips-bin.tar.gzVerify that the checksums match
tar -xvf teleport-ent-v12.1.1-linux-$SYSTEM-ARCH-fips-bin.tar.gzcd teleport-entsudo ./install
Please use the latest version of Teleport Enterprise documentation.
Create the Database Service configuration:
teleport db configure create \ -o file \ --proxy=teleport.example.com:3080 \ --token=/tmp/token \ --elasticache-discovery=us-west-1
teleport db configure create \ -o file \ --proxy=teleport.example.com:3080 \ --token=/tmp/token \ --memorydb-discovery=us-west-1
The command will generate a Database Service configuration with ElastiCache or
MemoryDB database auto-discovery enabled on the us-west-1
region and place it
at the /etc/teleport.yaml
location.
Step 3/6. Create an IAM policy for Teleport
Teleport needs AWS IAM permissions to be able to:
- Discover and register ElastiCache and MemoryDB for Redis clusters.
- Modify ElastiCache and MemoryDB user passwords for Teleport-managed users.
- Save user passwords in AWS Secrets Manager for Teleport-managed users.
Before you can generate IAM permissions, you must provide the Teleport Database Service access to AWS credentials.
Grant the Database Service access to credentials that it can use to authenticate to AWS. If you are running the Database Service on an EC2 instance, you should use the EC2 Instance Metadata Service method. Otherwise, you must use environment variables:
Teleport will detect when it is running on an EC2 instance and use the Instance Metadata Service to fetch credentials.
Teleport's built-in AWS client reads credentials from the following environment variables:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION
When you start the Database Service, the service reads environment variables from a
file at the path /etc/default/teleport
. Obtain these credentials from your
organization. Ensure that /etc/default/teleport
has the following content,
replacing the values of each variable:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=00000000000000000000
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=<YOUR_REGION>
Teleport's AWS client loads credentials from different sources in the following order:
- Environment Variables
- Shared credentials file
- Shared configuration file (Teleport always enables shared configuration)
- EC2 Instance Metadata (credentials only)
While you can provide AWS credentials via a shared credentials file or shared
configuration file, you will need to run the Database Service with the AWS_PROFILE
environment variable assigned to the name of your profile of choice.
If you have a specific use case that the instructions above do not account for, consult the documentation for the AWS SDK for Go for a detailed description of credential loading behavior.
Teleport can bootstrap IAM permissions for the Database Service based on its
configuration using the teleport db configure bootstrap
command. You can use
this command in automatic or manual mode:
- In automatic mode, Teleport will attempt to create appropriate IAM policies and attach them to the specified IAM identity (user or role). This requires IAM permissions to create and attach IAM policies.
- In manual mode, Teleport will print required IAM policies. You can then create and attach them manually using the AWS management console.
Run one of the following commands on your Database Service node:
Use this command to bootstrap the permissions automatically when your Teleport Database Service runs as an IAM user (for example, uses an AWS credentials file).
teleport db configure bootstrap -c /etc/teleport.yaml --attach-to-user TeleportUser
Use this command to bootstrap the permissions automatically when your Teleport Database Service runs as an IAM role (for example, on an EC2 instance with an attached IAM role).
teleport db configure bootstrap -c /etc/teleport.yaml --attach-to-role TeleportRole
Use this command to display required IAM policies which you will then create in your AWS console:
teleport db configure bootstrap -c /etc/teleport.yaml --manual
See the full bootstrap
command
reference.
Step 4/6. Start the Database Service
Configure the Database Service to start automatically when the host boots up by creating a systemd service for it. The instructions depend on how you installed the Database Service.
On the host where you will run the Database Service, start Teleport:
sudo systemctl start teleport
On the host where you will run the Database Service, create a systemd service configuration for Teleport, enable the Teleport service, and start Teleport:
sudo teleport install systemd -o /etc/systemd/system/teleport.servicesudo systemctl enable teleportsudo systemctl start teleport
The Database Service will discover and register all ElastiCache and MemoryDB for Redis clusters according to the configuration.
Step 5/6. Create a Teleport-managed ElastiCache or MemoryDB user (optional)
To provide better security, it is recommended to use Redis
ACL for authentication with Redis
and let Teleport manage the users. The Teleport Database Service constantly
rotates any passwords managed by Teleport, saves these passwords in AWS Secrets
Manager, and automatically sends an AUTH
command with the saved password when
connecting the client to the Redis server.
To enable Redis ACL, please see Authenticating users with Role-Based Access Control for ElastiCache and Authenticating users with Access Control Lists for MemoryDB.
Once an ElastiCache or MemoryDB user is created with the desired access, add an
AWS resource tag teleport.dev/managed
with the value true
to this user:

The Database Service will automatically discover this user if it is associated with a registered database. Keep in mind that it may take the Database Service some time (up to 20 minutes) to discover this user once the tag is added.
Step 6/6. Connect
Once the Database Service has started and joined the cluster, log in to see the registered databases:
tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com --user=alicetsh db lsName Description Labels
--------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --------
my-cluster-mode-elasticache ElastiCache cluster in us-west-1 (configuration endpoint) ...
my-elasticache ElastiCache cluster in us-west-1 (primary endpoint) ...
my-elasticache-reader ElastiCache cluster in us-west-1 (reader endpoint) ...
my-memorydb MemoryDB cluster in us-west-1 ...
You can override the database name by applying the teleport.dev/database_name
AWS tag to the resource. The value of the tag will be used as the database name.
To retrieve credentials for a database and connect to it:
tsh db connect --db-user=my-database-user my-elasticache
If flag --db-user
is not provided, Teleport logs in as the default
user.
Now, depending on the authentication configurations, you may need to send an
AUTH
command to authenticate with the Redis server:
The Database Service automatically authenticates Teleport-managed users
with the Redis server. No AUTH
command is required after successful
connection.
If you are connecting as a non-Teleport-managed user, the connection
normally starts as the default
user. Now you can authenticate the
database user with its password:
AUTH my-database-user <USER_PASSWORD>
Now you can authenticate with the shared AUTH token:
AUTH <SHARED_AUTH_TOKEN>
For Redis deployments without the ACL system or legacy requirepass
directive enabled, no AUTH
command is required.
To log out of the database and remove credentials:
Remove credentials for a particular database instance.
tsh db logout my-elasticacheRemove credentials for all database instances.
tsh db logout
Troubleshooting
Certificate error
If your tsh db connect
error includes the following text, you likely have an RDS database created before July 28, 2020, which presents an X.509 certificate that is incompatible with Teleport:
x509: certificate relies on legacy Common Name field, use SANs instead
AWS provides instructions to rotate your SSL/TLS certificate.
No credential providers error
If you see the error NoCredentialProviders: no valid providers in chain
in Database Service logs then Teleport
is not detecting the required credentials to connect via AWS IAM permissions. Check whether
the credentials or security role has been applied in the machine running the Teleport Database Service.
Timeout errors
The Teleport Database Service needs connectivity to your database endpoints. That may require
enabling inbound traffic on the database from the Database Service on the same VPC or routing rules from another VPC. Using the nc
program you can verify connections to databases:
nc -zv postgres-instance-1.sadas.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com 5432
Connection to postgres-instance-1.sadas.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com (172.31.24.172) 5432 port [tcp/postgresql] succeeded!
Next steps
- Learn how to restrict access to certain users and databases.
- View the High Availability (HA) guide.
- Take a look at the YAML configuration reference.
- See the full CLI reference.