Per-user Resource Limits

Overview

Similarly to per-virtual host resource limits, it is possible to limit how many connections and channels a specific user can open.

These limits can be used as guard rails in environments where applications cannot be trusted and monitored in detail, for example, when RabbitMQ clusters are offered as a service.

The limits can be configured using rabbitmqctl set_user_limits or the HTTP API.

Maximum Number of Connections

To limit how many connection a user can open, set the max-connections limit to a positive integer:

rabbitmqctl set_user_limits user1 '{"max-connections": 10}'

To set the limit over the HTTP API, use the following endpoint:

PUT /api/user-limits/{username}/{limit}

and a request body like this:

{"value": 20}

Here is an example that uses curl:

# using the HTTP API
curl -v -u guest:guest -X PUT http://localhost:15672/api/user-limits/user1/max-connections \
                       -H "content-type: application/json" \
                       -d @- <<EOF
{
  "value": 20
}
EOF

Maximum Number of Channels

To limit how many channels, in total, a user can open, set the max-channels limit to a positive integer:

# using CLI tools
rabbitmqctl set_user_limits guest '{"max-connections": 10, "max-channels": 20}'

To set the limit over the HTTP API, use the following endpoint:

PUT /api/user-limits/{username}/{limit}

and a request body like this:

{"value": 20}

Here is an example that uses curl to set a limit for user user1:

# using the HTTP API
curl -v -u guest:guest -X PUT http://localhost:15672/api/user-limits/user1/max-channels \
                       -H "content-type: application/json" \
                       -d @- <<EOF
{
  "value": 20
}
EOF

The limit is applied to the total number of channels across all connections opened by the user. Therefore, it must be equal or greater than that the aforementioned maximum connection limit.

Clearing User Limits

To clear all limits for a user, use rabbitmqctl clear_user_limits or the HTTP API.

Here are some examples that clear all limits for user user1:

# clears the maximum number of connections limit
rabbitmqctl clear_user_limits user1 'max-connections'

# clears the maximum number of channels limit
rabbitmqctl clear_user_limits user1 'max-channels'

# clears all limits in a single operation
rabbitmqctl clear_user_limits user1 all

To clear the limit over the HTTP API, use the following endpoint:

DELETE /api/user-limits/{username}/{limit}

without a request body.

Here is an example that uses curl to clear all limits of user user1:

# using the HTTP API
curl -v -u guest:guest -X DELETE http://localhost:15672/api/user-limits/user1/max-channels

curl -v -u guest:guest -X DELETE http://localhost:15672/api/user-limits/user1/max-connections