Additional endpoints

Extra listeners on 127.0.0.1 for tools that take a custom metadata URL.

The default endpoint answers at the standard address, which suits most tools. Additional endpoints listen on 127.0.0.1 with a port you choose, for the cases the standard address cannot cover:

  • a tool that takes a custom metadata URL and you would rather be explicit
  • two shells that need different profiles at the same time
  • testing against a specific IMDS version or hop limit

Create one

Choose + under the endpoint list. You give it a name, a port, and the profile it serves.

SettingWhat it does
PortThe port on 127.0.0.1 to listen on
Bind addressAlways 127.0.0.1. Endpoints are never exposed on your network
IMDS versionv1, v2, or v1 + v2
Hop limitThe IMDSv2 response hop limit

Point a tool at it

export AWS_EC2_METADATA_SERVICE_ENDPOINT=http://127.0.0.1:9678
export AWS_EC2_METADATA_SERVICE_ENDPOINT=http://127.0.0.1:9678
set -gx AWS_EC2_METADATA_SERVICE_ENDPOINT http://127.0.0.1:9678
$env:AWS_EC2_METADATA_SERVICE_ENDPOINT = "http://127.0.0.1:9678"

The endpoint detail can copy that line for you, along with the plain URL and a curl that exercises it.

Watching it work

A running endpoint shows its state, how long it has been up, how many requests it has served and which IMDS versions it answers — which is usually the quickest way to tell whether a tool is actually reaching it.

Quorra also publishes the active port at ~/Library/Application Support/Quorra/imds.port for local scripts.