Deploy NGINX Gateway Fabric on a kind Cluster

Overview

Learn how to run NGINX Gateway Fabric on a kind (Kubernetes in Docker) cluster.

Before you begin

To complete the steps in this guide, you first need to install the following tools for Kubernetes management and development:

• kubectl: A command-line interface for Kubernetes that allows you to manage and inspect cluster resources, and control containerized applications.
• kind: Short for Kubernetes in Docker, this tool lets you run Kubernetes clusters locally using Docker containers, ideal for testing and development purposes.

Create a kind Cluster

To create a kind cluster, choose from the following options:

• Option 1: Use the kind tool. For detailed instructions, refer to the kind quick start guide Creating a Cluster.

• Option 2: Run the following make command in the root of your repository:

  make create-kind-cluster
  

  This command creates a kind cluster using the settings from your Makefile.

Deploy NGINX Gateway Fabric

Now that you’ve created a kind cluster, the next step is to install NGINX Gateway Fabric.

To install NGINX Gateway Fabric, choose the appropriate installation guide that suits your setup:

• Installation with Helm
• Installation with Kubernetes manifests

Set up a NodePort

When using kind clusters, be aware that NodePort services require additional setup.

For example, the following will automatically set up port forwarding into a local cluster (intended for development):

kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
- role: control-plane
  extraPortMappings:
  - containerPort: 31437
    hostPort: 8080
    protocol: TCP
  - containerPort: 31438
    hostPort: 8443
    protocol: TCP
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: nginx-gateway
  namespace: nginx-gateway # must be same namespace as your gateway
  labels:
    app.kubernetes.io/name: nginx-gateway
    app.kubernetes.io/instance: nginx-gateway
    app.kubernetes.io/version: "edge"
spec:
  type: NodePort
  selector:
    app.kubernetes.io/name: nginx-gateway
    app.kubernetes.io/instance: nginx-gateway
  ports: # Update the following ports to match your Gateway Listener ports
  - name: http
    port: 80
    protocol: TCP
    targetPort: 80
    nodePort: 31437 # See https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/configuration/#nodeport-with-port-mappings
  - name: https
    port: 443
    protocol: TCP
    targetPort: 443
    nodePort: 31438

Note:
For LoadBalancer services, you’ll need a third-party controller like MetalLB to assign external IPs. The default Helm chart creates a LoadBalancer service; however, you can disable this by adding --set service.create=false to your Helm command. Afterward, you can configure port forwarding as described below to access the examples.

Configure Port Forwarding

Once NGINX Gateway Fabric has been installed, if you don’t have port forwarding set with both the NodePort and extraPortMappings, you need to configure port forwarding from local ports 8080 and 8443 to ports 80 and 443 on the nginx-gateway Pod.

To configure port forwarding, run the following command:

kubectl -n nginx-gateway port-forward <pod-name> 8080:80 8443:443

Note:
NGINX will only start listening on these ports after you set up a Gateway resource with a valid listener.

Get Started with NGINX Gateway Fabric

Learn how to use NGINX Gateway Fabric by exploring the tutorials in the examples directory. The guides provide practical instructions and scenarios to help you use NGINX Gateway Fabric effectively.