Configuration Checks#

FairDM uses Django’s check framework to validate production-readiness of your portal configuration. This replaces the old runtime logging system with explicit, on-demand validation.

Running Checks#

Development Mode#

python manage.py check

This runs all registered checks, including FairDM’s configuration checks. Errors will prevent the application from starting, while warnings are informational.

Production Deployment Checks#

python manage.py check --deploy

The --deploy flag runs additional checks specifically for production environments, including:

Database configuration (PostgreSQL required)
Cache backend (Redis/Memcached required)
SECRET_KEY security
ALLOWED_HOSTS configuration
DEBUG mode (must be False)
SSL/HTTPS settings
Cookie security
Celery configuration

Recommendation: Run this command during deployment to catch configuration issues early.

Check Categories#

Database Checks (fairdm.E100-E199)#

E100: DATABASES[‘default’] Not Configured#

Error: No default database configured. Fix: Set the DATABASE_URL environment variable.

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname

E101: SQLite Not Recommended for Production#

Error: Using SQLite in production environment. Fix: Switch to PostgreSQL by setting DATABASE_URL.

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname

Cache Checks (fairdm.E200-E299)#

E200: Development Cache Backend in Production#

Error: Using LocMemCache or DummyCache in production. Fix: Set CACHE_URL to Redis or Memcached.

CACHE_URL=redis://localhost:6379/1

Security Checks (fairdm.E001, E003-E005)#

E001: SECRET_KEY Not Set#

Error: SECRET_KEY is empty or missing. Fix: Set SECRET_KEY environment variable (50+ characters recommended).

SECRET_KEY=$(python -c 'from django.core.management.utils import get_random_secret_key; print(get_random_secret_key())')

Note: Django also provides security.W009 for SECRET_KEY length and quality checks.

E003: ALLOWED_HOSTS Empty#

Error: ALLOWED_HOSTS list is empty. Fix: Set DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS with comma-separated domain names.

DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS=example.com,www.example.com

E004: ALLOWED_HOSTS Contains Wildcard#

Error: ALLOWED_HOSTS contains ‘*’ wildcard. Fix: Specify explicit domain names.

DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS=example.com,www.example.com

E005: DEBUG Enabled in Production#

Error: DEBUG is set to True. Fix: Set DJANGO_DEBUG=False in production.

DJANGO_DEBUG=False

Note: Django also provides security.W018 for DEBUG checks. For cookie security (SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE and CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE), Django provides security.W012 and security.W016 respectively.

Celery Checks (fairdm.E300-E399)#

E300: CELERY_BROKER_URL Not Configured#

Error: Celery broker URL is missing. Fix: Set CELERY_BROKER_URL environment variable.

CELERY_BROKER_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0

E301: CELERY_TASK_ALWAYS_EAGER True#

Error: Celery tasks run synchronously (CELERY_TASK_ALWAYS_EAGER=True). Fix: Set CELERY_TASK_ALWAYS_EAGER=False for async task processing.

CELERY_TASK_ALWAYS_EAGER=False

Integration with CI/CD#

Add the check command to your deployment pipeline:

GitHub Actions Example#

- name: Run Django Checks
  run: |
    poetry run python manage.py check --deploy
  env:
    DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE: config.production

GitLab CI Example#

test:checks:
  stage: test
  script:
    - poetry run python manage.py check --deploy
  variables:
    DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE: config.production

Docker Example#

RUN python manage.py check --deploy

Filtering Checks#

Run Specific Tag#

# Only database checks
python manage.py check --tag database

# Only security checks
python manage.py check --tag security

# Only cache checks
python manage.py check --tag caches

# Only deploy checks
python manage.py check --tag deploy

Combine Tags#

# Security and database checks
python manage.py check --tag security --tag database

Silencing Checks#

To silence specific checks, add them to SILENCED_SYSTEM_CHECKS in your settings:

SILENCED_SYSTEM_CHECKS = [
    'security.W004',  # Silence HSTS warning
    'security.W008',  # Silence HTTPS redirect warning
]

Warning: Only silence checks if you understand the security implications.

Migration from Legacy System#

The old validate_services() function is deprecated and will be removed in a future version. Update your deployment processes:

Old (deprecated):

from fairdm.conf.checks import validate_services
validate_services('production', settings_dict)

New (recommended):

python manage.py check --deploy

The new system provides:

✅ Consistent Django integration
✅ Better error reporting
✅ Tag-based filtering
✅ CI/CD friendly
✅ Explicit validation (no runtime noise)

Troubleshooting#

Check Command Exits with Error Code 1#

This is expected when errors are found. Fix the reported issues before deploying.

Check Command Shows Warnings But Succeeds#

Warnings don’t prevent deployment but should be addressed for production environments.

Cannot Import fairdm.conf.checks#

Ensure checks are imported in fairdm/apps.py:

from fairdm.conf import checks as conf_checks  # noqa: F401

This import is required in the ready() method to register checks with Django’s check framework.