Manage Microservice in Kubernetes with Kong

Questions
1

I am kinda new here. I wan to integrate Kong gateway to redirect traffic to some microservices.
Here are my requirements:
The microservices are running in Kubernetes. So I will have install Kong in Kubernetes. But I want to have these options.

  • I want to use Kubernetes gateway API to configure Kong

  • I need to have Kong manager from which I can also configure kong so that people in my team with no kubernetes experience can expose their services using with kong

  • I want to see the metrics of the traffic

Is this possible? If yes please guide me. Where should I begin and what I need. FYI, it has be open source options.

2

Welcome @Abdul_Matin.

I thought I would take the opportunity to pass your question through our AI Assistant on our Developer site: developer.konghq.com. Please check out the site and the AI Assistant can be quite helpful for getting answers quickly. The link for the assistant is in the top left corner. Here is a response for your convenience.

Yes, your requirements are possible with Kong Gateway in Kubernetes using open source options, but there are some important caveats and limitations based on the knowledge sources.

1. Use Kubernetes Gateway API to Configure Kong

You can deploy Kong Gateway in Kubernetes and configure it using the Kubernetes Gateway API. Both the Kong Ingress Controller (KIC) and Kong Gateway Operator support the Gateway API, allowing you to define routing and expose your microservices using Kubernetes-native resources like Gateway, GatewayClass, and HTTPRoute Kong Ingress Controller Gateway API, Kong Operator Gateway API.

Getting started:

  • Deploy Kong Gateway and Kong Ingress Controller in your Kubernetes cluster.

  • Use Gateway API resources to define how traffic is routed to your microservices.

2. Kong Manager for Non-Kubernetes Users

Kong Manager is the GUI for Kong Gateway, allowing users to manage routes, services, plugins, and more without needing Kubernetes expertise. However, Kong Manager is only available in Kong Gateway Enterprise, and the knowledge sources do not indicate that it is available as an open source option. If you are limited to open source, Kong Manager is not available. All open source management is done via the Admin API, Kubernetes resources, or tools like decK Kong Manager, Kong Manager on Kubernetes.

3. Metrics and Observability

You can expose Kong Gateway metrics to Prometheus in Kubernetes using the open source Kong Gateway and Helm chart. This allows you to monitor traffic and performance Expose Kong metrics with Prometheus.

Steps:

  • Install Prometheus in your cluster.

  • Enable the serviceMonitor.enabled: true option in your Kong Helm values.

  • Enable the Prometheus plugin in Kong.

  • Prometheus will scrape metrics from Kong and you can view them in the Prometheus dashboard.

Summary Table

| Requirement | Open Source Support? | How to Achieve It | |------------------------------------------------|----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kubernetes Gateway API for Kong | Yes | Deploy Kong Gateway + KIC/Operator, use Gateway API resources | | Kong Manager GUI for non-K8s users | No | Only available in Enterprise; open source users must use Admin API, decK, or Kubernetes resources | | Traffic metrics (Prometheus) | Yes | Enable Prometheus plugin and ServiceMonitor in Helm chart |

Where to Begin

  1. Install Kong Gateway and Kong Ingress Controller in Kubernetes
    Install via Helm (for open source, use the “on-prem” option).

  2. Configure using Gateway API
    Follow the Gateway API guide to define your Gateway, GatewayClass, and routing resources.

  3. Enable Metrics
    Follow the Prometheus integration guide to expose and collect metrics.

  4. Management Interface
    For open source, you will need to use Kubernetes manifests, the Kong Admin API, or decK for configuration. There is no open source GUI like Kong Manager.

In summary:
You can achieve Kubernetes-native configuration and observability with open source Kong Gateway, but a GUI for non-Kubernetes users (Kong Manager) is not available in the open source version. All other requirements are supported. If you need a GUI, you would need to consider Kong Konnect