# Understanding Kubernetes: Part 17 -Ingress

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<figure><img src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*njFrN75ahMZy1HU0BUUtEQ.png" alt="Ingress in kubernetes"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> If you’ve been following our **Kubernetes series 2025**, welcome back! For new readers, check out Part 16: [**Understanding Kubernetes: Load Balancer Service**](https://medium.com/@techwithpatil/understanding-kubernetes-part-16-load-balancer-service-fae90437592a)

#### **What is Ingress in Kubernetes?**

An **Ingress** in Kubernetes is an API object that manages external access to services within a cluster, typically HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Unlike a LoadBalancer service, which exposes an application using an external IP, Ingress provides **routing rules** to direct traffic to different services based on paths or hostnames. It acts as a Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS) load balancer and can provide features such as SSL termination, name-based virtual hosting, and more.

#### Example Use Case:

Suppose you have multiple microservices (e.g., `web`, `api`, `admin`) running in your cluster, and you want to expose them under a single domain name (`example.com`). An Ingress can route requests like:

* `example.com/web` → Routes to the `web` service
* `example.com/api` → Routes to the `api` service
* `example.com/admin` → Routes to the `admin` service

#### Capabilities:

1. **Path-Based and Host-Based Routing:**

* Direct traffic to specific services based on URL paths or domain names

**2. SSL/TLS Termination:**

* Secure your application by handling HTTPS traffic via TLS certificates.

**3. Load Balancing:**

* Distributes incoming traffic across backend Pods efficiently.

**4. Authentication and Authorization:**

* Supports additional security features using annotations (e.g., OAuth, JWT).

**5. Rewrite and Redirect Rules:**

* Modify request URLs to simplify or change the routing logic.

**6. Integration with Ingress Controllers:**

* Requires an Ingress Controller such as Nginx, Traefik, or AWS ALB Ingress.

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#### YAML Example:

```
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: my-ingress
  annotations:
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /
spec:
  rules:
  - host: example.com
    http:
      paths:
      - path: /web
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: web-service
            port:
              number: 80
      - path: /api
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: api-service
            port:
              number: 80
```

**Explanation:**

* The Ingress routes traffic for `example.com/web` to `web-service` and `example.com/api` to `api-service`.
* The `rewrite-target` annotation modifies incoming requests to remove the prefix.
* Requires an Ingress Controller like Nginx to be deployed in the cluster.

***

#### In My Previous Role:

As a Senior DevOps Engineer, I effectively utilized Kubernetes Ingress to optimize application exposure in production environments. I implemented Nginx Ingress to manage HTTP and HTTPS traffic across multiple microservices, enabling:

* Seamless routing and load balancing for customer-facing services.
* Secure HTTPS traffic using TLS certificates managed via Let’s Encrypt.
* Improved deployment flexibility by consolidating multiple services under a single domain.
* Automated Ingress rule updates via CI/CD pipelines to ensure zero-downtime deployments.

This approach helped reduce operational complexity and improved application availability by providing a unified access point with enhanced security features.

***

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