In ACK Edge clusters, Ingress manages externally accessible API objects for cluster services and provides Layer 7 load balancing. This topic describes Ingress basic concepts, how Ingress works, and deployment options for ACK Edge clusters.
Key concepts
Ingress is a Kubernetes API object that manages Layer 7 HTTP and HTTPS routing from outside the cluster to internal Services. Forwarding rules on an Ingress resource direct external requests to the correct backend pods. See Ingress management.
Ingress resources handle only HTTP and HTTPS routing. Advanced features such as load balancing algorithms and session affinity must be configured on the Ingress controller, not the Ingress resource.
Ingress controller watches Ingress resources and forwards HTTP/HTTPS requests to backend pods.
ACK Edge cluster structure
An ACK Edge cluster extends ACK Pro clusters to connect edge nodes to the cloud. Each cluster has two parts:
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Cloud node pool: Contains resources such as Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances in the cluster Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
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Edge node pool: One or more pools of edge nodes connected to the cloud.
See Node pools.
Choose a deployment method
| Deployment method | Supported Ingress types | Network requirement | Service topology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node pool deployment | NGINX Ingress only | Leased line or public network | Optional (leased line) / Mandatory (public network) |
| Cloud deployment | NGINX Ingress and ALB Ingress | Leased line required | Not used |
Node pool deployment: Use when edge nodes connect over a public network, or when each node pool must handle traffic locally.
Cloud deployment: Use when cloud and edge node pools are connected by leased line and traffic does not need to stay local.
Node pool deployment
In node pool deployment, an Ingress controller runs in each node pool — both the cloud node pool and the edge node pools.
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The Ingress controller in the cloud node pool uses a LoadBalancer Service. The endpoint is a Classic Load Balancer (CLB) instance IP.
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The Ingress controller in each edge node pool uses a NodePort Service. The endpoint is any node IP in that pool.
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Service topology: Keeps requests routed to backend pods in the same node pool. Optional with a leased line, mandatory with a public network. See Configure a Service topology.
Cloud deployment
In cloud deployment, the Ingress controller runs only in the cloud node pool.
Cloud and edge node pools must be connected by leased line, with both host-level and container network interconnection.
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The Ingress controller provides Internet-facing access through a LoadBalancer Service with a CLB instance IP as the endpoint.
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External traffic enters through the cloud Ingress controller and is routed to backend pods with load balancing. Service topology is not used.
To install an Ingress controller: