Description: Ingress is an API object in Kubernetes that manages external access to services, typically over HTTP. Its primary function is to provide a way to route network traffic to the services of an application running in a Kubernetes cluster. Through rules defined in the Ingress object, it is possible to specify how traffic should be directed to different services based on the URL or host. This allows developers and system administrators to efficiently manage access to their applications without needing to expose each individual service to the external network. Additionally, Ingress can integrate with Ingress controllers that provide additional features such as load balancing, TLS termination, and authentication. In summary, Ingress is a fundamental tool for traffic management in cloud-native environments, facilitating the secure and controlled exposure of services.
History: The concept of Ingress in Kubernetes was introduced with Kubernetes version 1.0 in July 2015. Since then, it has evolved to include more advanced features and support for different Ingress controllers, allowing users to manage traffic more effectively. As Kubernetes has grown in popularity, the use of Ingress has become common in microservices deployments and container-based architectures.
Uses: Ingress is primarily used to manage external access to applications deployed in Kubernetes clusters. It allows administrators to define routing rules that direct traffic to different services based on the URL or host. This is especially useful in microservices architectures, where multiple services may be running and a unified entry point is needed. Additionally, Ingress can handle TLS termination, allowing secure connections without the need to configure each individual service.
Examples: A practical example of Ingress is its use in a web application consisting of several microservices, such as an authentication service and a user management service. With Ingress, routing rules can be defined that direct traffic to ‘/auth’ to the authentication service and traffic to ‘/users’ to the user management service, all through a single entry point. Another example is the use of Ingress controllers like NGINX, which enable advanced features such as load balancing and basic authentication.
