When we deploy applications on Kubernetes, we often expose them using Services like ClusterIP, NodePort, or LoadBalancer. But when you need advanced routing at the application layer (L7) — that’s where Ingress comes in.
Ingress lets you define rules to route external traffic into your Kubernetes cluster based on hostnames, URLs, or headers. Think of it like a smart router for your apps running in Kubernetes.
🟢 What is Kubernetes Ingress?
- Ingress works at the L7 Layer (Application Layer).
- It understands application protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2.
- Instead of creating multiple LoadBalancers, you can manage traffic centrally with Ingress.
- In Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Google Cloud hosts the Ingress Controller for you.
👉 Just make sure HTTP Load Balancing is enabled in your GKE cluster (under Networking settings).
🔵 GKE Ingress Services
- Protocols supported: HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2
- Types of Ingress in GKE:
- Internal Ingress Service → Used for private/internal apps.
- External Ingress Service → Used for public internet-facing apps.
- Multi-Cluster Ingress → Used when you deploy across multiple GKE clusters.
🟡 Ingress Manifest
An Ingress resource in Kubernetes is defined with a YAML manifest.
Here’s how the pieces fit:
Annotations (Load Balancer Settings)
- Configure extra features like static IPs, SSL certificates, or LoadBalancer type.
Ingress Spec
- Defines routing rules and the default backend.
Routing Rules
- Map incoming requests (like /app1 or /app2) to specific services inside the cluster.
Example:
- https://example.com/app1 → app1 service
- https://example.com/app2 → app2 service
✅ Key Takeaways
- Ingress acts as a smart traffic manager for Kubernetes apps.
- Reduces the need for multiple external LoadBalancers.
- Supports path-based and host-based routing.
- In GKE, setup is easier since the Ingress Controller is managed by Google.
🌟 Thanks for reading! If this post added value, a like ❤️, follow, or share would encourage me to keep creating more content.
— Latchu | Senior DevOps & Cloud Engineer
☁️ AWS | GCP | ☸️ Kubernetes | 🔐 Security | ⚡ Automation
📌 Sharing hands-on guides, best practices & real-world cloud solutions
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