"Unlock Secure Local Kubernetes Development: Ingress + TLS with NGINX on Kind"

Kubernetes Ingress with NGINX + TLS on Kind (Local Setup Guide)

Managing traffic in Kubernetes can be tricky—especially when exposing multiple services through a single IP or domain. Ingress solves that problem. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use NGINX Ingress Controller on a Kind (Kubernetes-in-Docker) cluster, and secure it with TLS using a self-signed certificate.

🧠 What Is Ingress in Kubernetes?

Ingress is a Kubernetes object that lets you define rules for routing HTTP and HTTPS traffic to services inside your cluster. It acts like a smart reverse proxy that handles path-based or host-based routing.

However, Ingress rules don't work on their own—you need an Ingress Controller, like NGINX, to enforce them.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Setup

This tutorial covers:

• Setting up a Kind cluster with Ingress support

• Installing the NGINX Ingress Controller

• Deploying a sample HTTP app

• Creating a TLS certificate with OpenSSL

• Exposing the app securely via HTTPS

1️⃣ Create a Kind Cluster with Ingress Support

Save the following to kind-config.yaml:

Create the cluster:

2️⃣ Install NGINX Ingress Controller

Apply the official NGINX Ingress manifest:

Wait for it to be ready:

3️⃣ Deploy a Sample App (login)

Create a file login-deployment.yaml:

Apply it:

4️⃣ Generate a TLS Certificate with OpenSSL

Create the TLS secret:

5️⃣ Create the Ingress Resource with TLS

Save as app-ingress-tls.yaml:

Apply it:

6️⃣ Update Your Hosts File

7️⃣ Test It!

The flag allows for accepting self-signed certs.

Output:

✅ Conclusion

You’ve now:

• Built a Kind cluster with Ingress support

• Installed NGINX Ingress Controller

• Deployed a sample app

• Secured it with HTTPS using TLS

This setup is ideal for testing Ingress features locally before moving to production clusters.