How to Configure YugabyteDB in Struts

August 13, 2025

Struts is a reliable Java web framework, and integrating YugabyteDB gives you access to globally distributed, PostgreSQL-compatible SQL. This guide walks through setting up YugabyteDB in Struts using Docker for local development and Kubernetes for production—keeping configs neat and code reusable across environments.

1. Add Dependencies to `pom.xml`

First things first, update your pom.xml:

<dependencies>
  <!-- Struts framework -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
    <artifactId>struts2-core</artifactId>
    <version>${struts.version}</version>
  </dependency>

  <!-- PostgreSQL JDBC driver (works with YugabyteDB) -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId>
    <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
    <version>${postgresql.version}</version>
  </dependency>

  <!-- Kubernetes client (optional) -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
    <artifactId>kubernetes-client</artifactId>
    <version>${fabric8.version}</version>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

YugabyteDB is PostgreSQL-compatible, so the PostgreSQL JDBC driver works perfectly.

2. Run YugabyteDB Locally with Docker

Set up a lightweight, distributed YugabyteDB cluster:

version: '3'
services:
  yb-tserver:
    image: yugabytedb/yugabyte:latest
    command: ["/home/yugabyte/bin/yb-tserver", "--fs_data_dirs=/data", "--start"]
    volumes:
      - yb-data:/data
    ports:
      - "5433:5433"

  yb-master:
    image: yugabytedb/yugabyte:latest
    command: ["/home/yugabyte/bin/yb-master", "--fs_data_dirs=/data", "--start"]
    ports:
      - "7100:7100"

volumes:
  yb-data:

Run:

docker-compose up -d

YugabyteDB listens on localhost:5433—ready for local development.

3. Create Dev Configuration: `yugabyte-dev.properties`

Add to src/main/resources:

db.driver=org.postgresql.Driver
db.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5433/yugabyte?user=yugabyte&sslmode=disable
db.user=yugabyte
db.password=
db.validationQuery=SELECT 1

Load it via a Struts helper:

Properties props = new Properties();
props.load(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/yugabyte-dev.properties"));

Class.forName(props.getProperty("db.driver"));
try (Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(
        props.getProperty("db.url"),
        props.getProperty("db.user"),
        props.getProperty("db.password"));
     Statement stmt = conn.createStatement()) {
  stmt.executeQuery(props.getProperty("db.validationQuery"));
}

Now you’re connected to your local YugabyteDB instance.

4. Prepare Kubernetes Config for Production

Store production database settings securely:

kubectl create configmap yugabyte-config \
  --from-literal=DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql://yugabyte-service:5433/proddb?sslmode=disable \
  --from-literal=DB_DRIVER=org.postgresql.Driver \
  --from-literal=DB_VALIDATION_QUERY=SELECT 1

kubectl create secret generic yugabyte-secret \
  --from-literal=DB_USER=produser \
  --from-literal=DB_PASSWORD=prodPass123

5. Create Production Configuration: `yugabyte-prod.properties`

Add this to your application resources:

db.driver=${DB_DRIVER}
db.url=${DB_URL}
db.user=${DB_USER}
db.password=${DB_PASSWORD}
db.validationQuery=${DB_VALIDATION_QUERY}

At runtime, your Struts application reads these values via environment variables.

6. Kubernetes Deployment Example

Ensure your pod spec includes these environment variables:

env:
  - name: DB_DRIVER
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: yugabyte-config
        key: DB_DRIVER
  - name: DB_URL
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: yugabyte-config
        key: DB_URL
  - name: DB_VALIDATION_QUERY
    valueFrom:
      configMapKeyRef:
        name: yugabyte-config
        key: DB_VALIDATION_QUERY
  - name: DB_USER
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: yugabyte-secret
        key: DB_USER
  - name: DB_PASSWORD
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: yugabyte-secret
        key: DB_PASSWORD

Package yugabyte-prod.properties and deploy your Struts application. It will automatically choose prod settings.

7. Example Struts Action to Verify Connection

Here's a Struts action to check DB connectivity:

public class DbHealthAction extends ActionSupport {
  public String execute() {
    String url = System.getenv("DB_URL");
    String user = System.getenv("DB_USER");
    String pass = System.getenv("DB_PASSWORD");
    String validation = System.getenv("DB_VALIDATION_QUERY");
    try (Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(url, user, pass);
         Statement stmt = conn.createStatement()) {
      stmt.executeQuery(validation);
      addActionMessage("Connected to YugabyteDB successfully!");
      return SUCCESS;
    } catch (Exception e) {
      addActionError("Connection failed: " + e.getMessage());
      return ERROR;
    }
  }
}

This works seamlessly across both environments.

Why This Approach Works

Local dev ease: Docker and dev configs give quick, reliable testing
Production safety: Kubernetes Secrets hold credentials securely
Consistent code: Same logic works in both environments with no branching
Environment clarity: Separate config files reduce errors

You now have a Struts web application ready to work with YugabyteDB—fast for local development, and production-ready with Kubernetes! Happy building and scaling.

1. Add Dependencies to pom.xml