vkdr kong-gw

Use these commands to install and manage Kong Gateway Operator in your vkdr cluster.

Kong Gateway Operator is an implementation of the Kubernetes Gateway API using Kong as the data plane. It provides a modern, standardized way to configure traffic routing in Kubernetes.

Gateway API vs Ingress

The Gateway API is the evolution of the Ingress API, offering:

• Role-based configuration (infrastructure vs application teams)
• More expressive routing rules
• Better support for TCP/UDP traffic
• Standardized API across implementations

vkdr kong-gw install

Install Kong Gateway Operator in your cluster.

vkdr kong-gw install [--node-ports=<node_ports>]

Flags

Flag	Description	Default
--node-ports	NodePorts for http/https (e.g., 30000,30001 or *)	(none)

What Gets Installed

1. Operator (if not already installed):

   • Gateway API CRDs
   • Kong Gateway Operator controller
   • GatewayClass named kong

2. TLS Certificate (if not exists):

   • Self-signed certificate for TLS termination
   • SANs: localhost, *.localhost, localdomain, *.localdomain
   • Stored in secret kong-gateway-tls

3. Gateway (always created/updated):

   • Default Gateway named kong in kong-system namespace
   • HTTP listener on port 80
   • HTTPS listener on port 443 with TLS termination
   • Allows HTTPRoutes from all namespaces

Note: If the operator is already installed, only the Gateway object is created. This allows multiple install calls to update the Gateway configuration without reinstalling the operator.

Examples

Basic Installation

vkdr infra up
vkdr kong-gw install
# Access via http://localhost:8000 and https://localhost:8001

With Custom Ports

Start the cluster with custom HTTP/HTTPS ports:

vkdr infra start --http 80 --https 443
vkdr kong-gw install
# Access via http://localhost and https://localhost

Using NodePorts

When using NodePort mode instead of LoadBalancer:

# Start cluster with nodeports
vkdr infra start --nodeports 2

# Install Kong Gateway Operator with NodePort
vkdr kong-gw install --node-ports 30000,30001
# Or use '*' for defaults
vkdr kong-gw install --node-ports '*'

# Access via http://localhost:9000 and https://localhost:9001

vkdr kong-gw remove

Remove Kong Gateway from your cluster.

vkdr kong-gw remove [--delete-operator]

Flags

Flag	Description	Default
--delete-operator	Also remove operator and TLS secret	false

What Gets Removed

Default behavior (no flags):

• Removes the Gateway object named kong
• Removes any associated GatewayConfiguration
• Keeps the operator and TLS secret for quick re-creation of Gateways

With --delete-operator:

• Removes the Gateway and GatewayConfiguration (as above)
• Removes the GatewayClass
• Uninstalls the Kong Gateway Operator helm release
• Deletes the entire kong-system namespace (including TLS secret)
• Gateway API CRDs remain installed
• Idempotent: safe to run multiple times

Examples

# Remove Gateway only (fast, operator stays)
vkdr kong-gw remove

# Full removal including operator and TLS secret
vkdr kong-gw remove --delete-operator

vkdr kong-gw explain

Explain Kong Gateway Operator setup and configuration options.

vkdr kong-gw explain

Using Gateway API Resources

Creating a Gateway

apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Gateway
metadata:
  name: my-gateway
spec:
  gatewayClassName: kong
  listeners:
  - name: http
    port: 80
    protocol: HTTP

Creating an HTTPRoute

apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
  name: my-route
spec:
  parentRefs:
  - name: my-gateway
  hostnames:
  - "example.localhost"
  rules:
  - matches:
    - path:
        type: PathPrefix
        value: /
    backendRefs:
    - name: my-service
      port: 80

Complete Example

Quick Development Setup

# Start cluster
vkdr infra up

# Install Kong Gateway Operator
vkdr kong-gw install

# Test with whoami using Gateway API
vkdr whoami install --gateway kong
curl http://whoami.localhost:8000

# Clean up
vkdr whoami remove
vkdr kong-gw remove
vkdr infra stop

Kong Gateway Operator vs Kong Ingress Controller

Feature	Gateway Operator	Ingress Controller
API	Gateway API	Ingress API
Configuration	Gateway/HTTPRoute CRDs	Ingress + Annotations
Role separation	Yes (Infra/App teams)	Limited
Data Plane	Managed by operator	Self-managed
Future-proof	Gateway API is the future	Legacy but stable

When to Use Kong Gateway Operator

• New projects starting fresh
• Need Gateway API features
• Want role-based configuration
• Planning for future Kubernetes standards
• Need operator-managed data plane lifecycle

When to Use Kong Ingress Controller

• Existing projects using Ingress
• Simple HTTP/HTTPS routing needs
• Need Kong-specific features via annotations
• Extensive existing documentation/examples