# Install NGINX Ingress Controller with NGINX Ingress Operator

Type of document: How-to guide
Product: NGINX Ingress Controller

---


This document explains how to install F5 NGINX Ingress Controller using NGINX Ingress Operator.

## Before you begin

If you're using NGINX Plus, get the NGINX Ingress Controller JWT and [create a license secret](/nic/install/license-secret.md).

**Note:**  We recommend the most recent stable version of NGINX Ingress Controller, available on the GitHub repository's [releases page](https://github.com/nginx/kubernetes-ingress/releases). 

 Make sure you have access to the NGINX Ingress Controller image:

- For NGINX Ingress Controller, use the image `nginx/nginx-ingress` from [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/r/nginx/nginx-ingress).
- For NGINX Plus Ingress Controller, view the [Download NGINX Ingress Controller from the F5 Registry](/nic/install/images/registry-download) topic for details on how to pull the image from the F5 Docker registry.
- The [Add an NGINX Ingress Controller image to your cluster](/nic/install/images/add-image-to-cluster.md) topic describes how to use your subscription JWT token to get the image.
 - The [Build NGINX Ingress Controller](/nic/install/build.md) topic explains how to push an image to a private Docker registry.

Install the NGINX Ingress Operator following the [instructions](https://github.com/nginx/nginx-ingress-helm-operator/blob/main/docs/installation.md).

Create the SecurityContextConstraint as outlined in the ["Getting Started" instructions](https://github.com/nginx/nginx-ingress-helm-operator/blob/main/README.md#getting-started).

**Note:**  If you're upgrading your operator installation to a later release, navigate [here](https://github.com/nginx/nginx-ingress-helm-operator/blob/main/helm-charts/nginx-ingress) and run `kubectl apply -f crds/` or `oc apply -f crds/` as a prerequisite 

## Create the NGINX Ingress Controller manifest

Create a manifest `nginx-ingress-controller.yaml` with the following content:

```yaml
apiVersion: charts.nginx.org/v1alpha1
kind: NginxIngress
metadata:
  name: nginxingress-sample
  namespace: nginx-ingress
spec:
  controller:
    image:
      pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
      repository: nginx/nginx-ingress
      tag: -ubi
    ingressClass:
      name: nginx
    kind: deployment
    nginxplus: false
    replicaCount: 1
    serviceAccount:
      imagePullSecretName: ""
```

**Note:**  For NGINX Plus, change the `image.repository` and `image.tag` values and change `nginxPlus` to `True`. If required, set the `serviceAccount.imagePullSecretName` or `serviceAccount.imagePullSecretsNames` to the name of the pre-created docker config secret that should be associated with the ServiceAccount. 

## Deploy NGINX Ingress Controller

```shell
kubectl apply -f nginx-ingress-controller.yaml
```

A new instance of NGINX Ingress Controller will be deployed by the NGINX Ingress Operator in the `default` namespace with default parameters.

To configure other parameters of the NginxIngressController resource, check the [documentation](https://github.com/nginx/nginx-ingress-helm-operator/blob/main/docs/nginx-ingress-controller.md).

## Troubleshooting

If you experience an `OOMkilled` error when deploying the NGINX Ingress Operator in a large cluster, it's likely because the Helm operator is caching all Kubernetes objects and using up too much memory. If you encounter this issue, try the following solutions:

- Set the operator to only watch one namespace.
- If monitoring multiple namespaces is required, consider manually increasing the memory limit for the operator. Keep in mind that this value might be overwritten after a release update.

We are working with the OpenShift team to resolve this issue.