Exposing Kibana Through Subpath on Kubernetes Cluster via Ingress

In the dynamic world of Kubernetes, efficiently exposing services is a crucial aspect of managing containerized applications. This article will guide you through the process of exposing Kibana, a popular open-source analytics and visualization platform, on a Kubernetes cluster using the concept of a subpath through Ingress.

Understanding Subpath Exposures:
Before diving into the implementation, let's understand what subpath exposures are. Subpath exposures involve exposing a specific path or endpoint of a service rather than the entire application. This can enhance security and make the organization of services more structured.

Setting the Stage:
To follow along, ensure you have a Kubernetes cluster set up and running. Additionally, Kibana should be deployed within the cluster. If you haven't done this yet, use the following commands:

# Create a Namespace for Kibana
kubectl create namespace kibana

# Deploy Kibana in the Kibana Namespace
kubectl apply -f kibana-deployment.yaml -n kibana

Configuring Ingress:
Now, let's proceed with configuring Ingress to expose Kibana through a subpath. Create an Ingress resource with the following specifications:

apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: kibana-ingress
  namespace: kibana
spec:
  rules:
  - host: your-cluster-domain
    http:
      paths:
      - path: /kibana
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: kibana-service
            port:
              number: 5601

Replace your-cluster-domain with the actual domain of your Kubernetes cluster. This configuration instructs Ingress to route requests to /kibana to the Kibana service.

Applying the Ingress Configuration:
Apply the Ingress configuration using the following command:

kubectl apply -f kibana-ingress.yaml -n kibana

Verifying the Configuration:
To ensure everything is set up correctly, check the status of the Ingress resource:

kubectl get ingress -n kibana

This should display the Ingress resource, showing the specified rules and paths.

Accessing Kibana:
With the subpath configuration in place, access Kibana by navigating to your-cluster-domain/kibana in a web browser.

Additional Considerations:

• SSL/TLS Termination: Consider securing the communication with Kibana by enabling SSL/TLS termination in the Ingress configuration.
• Authentication: Implement authentication mechanisms to secure access to Kibana.

In this article, we explored the process of exposing Kibana through a subpath on a Kubernetes cluster using Ingress. This approach provides a fine-grained control over service exposure, enhancing both security and organization. Experiment with the configurations to fit your specific use case, and always prioritize security in your Kubernetes deployments.