Deploying kube-ingress-dash with Helm

The recommended way to deploy kube-ingress-dash to Kubernetes is using the official Helm chart. This guide provides practical deployment scenarios, configuration examples, and troubleshooting tips to help you get started quickly.

Prerequisites

Helm 3.0+ installed
Kubernetes cluster with kubectl configured
Appropriate RBAC permissions to create ClusterRole and ClusterRoleBinding

Quick Start

Install kube-ingress-dash with default settings:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1

OCI Registry

The chart is published to GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) as an OCI artifact. This is the modern Helm 3 approach and doesn't require adding a traditional Helm repository.

Deployment Scenarios

Scenario 1: Development/Testing Environment

For quick testing in a development cluster with minimal resources:

# dev-values.yaml
replicaCount: 1

resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 50m
    memory: 64Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 200m
    memory: 256Mi

# Use port-forward for access
service:
  type: ClusterIP
  port: 3000

Deploy:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --namespace kube-ingress-dash \
  --create-namespace \
  --values dev-values.yaml

Scenario 2: Production Environment with Ingress

For production deployment with external access via ingress controller:

# prod-values.yaml
replicaCount: 2

resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 100m
    memory: 128Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 500m
    memory: 512Mi

# Enable autoscaling for production workloads
autoscaling:
  enabled: true
  minReplicas: 2
  maxReplicas: 5
  targetCPUUtilizationPercentage: 80

# Configure ingress for external access
ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: nginx
  annotations:
    cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: letsencrypt-prod
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/ssl-redirect: "true"
  hosts:
    - host: ingress-dash.example.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix
  tls:
    - secretName: ingress-dash-tls
      hosts:
        - ingress-dash.example.com

# Add pod annotations for monitoring
podAnnotations:
  prometheus.io/scrape: "true"
  prometheus.io/port: "3000"
  prometheus.io/path: "/api/health"

Deploy:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --namespace kube-ingress-dash \
  --create-namespace \
  --values prod-values.yaml

Scenario 3: Multi-Cluster Monitoring

For monitoring ingresses across multiple clusters with custom image:

# multi-cluster-values.yaml
# Use a custom image with additional monitoring tools
image:
  repository: ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash
  tag: "0.3.1"
  pullPolicy: IfNotPresent

replicaCount: 1

# Configure environment variables
env:
  - name: LOG_LEVEL
    value: "info"

resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 100m
    memory: 128Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 500m
    memory: 512Mi

# Use LoadBalancer for direct access
service:
  type: LoadBalancer
  port: 3000

# Configure node affinity for dedicated monitoring nodes
affinity:
  - nodeAffinity:
      preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
        - weight: 100
          preference:
            matchExpressions:
              - key: node-role.kubernetes.io/monitoring
                operator: In
                values:
                  - "true"

Deploy:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --namespace monitoring \
  --create-namespace \
  --values multi-cluster-values.yaml

Common Configuration Examples

Custom Image Configuration

Use a specific image version or private registry:

image:
  repository: your-registry.example.com/kube-ingress-dash
  tag: "v1.2.3"
  pullPolicy: Always

imagePullSecrets:
  - name: registry-credentials

Resource Limits and Requests

Set appropriate resource limits based on your cluster size:

# For small clusters (< 50 ingresses)
resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 50m
    memory: 64Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 200m
    memory: 256Mi

# For medium clusters (50-200 ingresses)
resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 100m
    memory: 128Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 500m
    memory: 512Mi

# For large clusters (> 200 ingresses)
resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 200m
    memory: 256Mi
  limits:
    cpu: 1000m
    memory: 1Gi

Ingress Configuration Examples

NGINX Ingress Controller

ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: nginx
  annotations:
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/ssl-redirect: "true"
    cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: letsencrypt-prod
  hosts:
    - host: ingress-dash.example.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix
  tls:
    - secretName: ingress-dash-tls
      hosts:
        - ingress-dash.example.com

Traefik Ingress Controller

ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: traefik
  annotations:
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: websecure
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls: "true"
  hosts:
    - host: ingress-dash.example.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix

AWS ALB Ingress Controller

ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: alb
  annotations:
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/scheme: internet-facing
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/target-type: ip
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/listen-ports: '[{"HTTPS":443}]'
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/certificate-arn: arn:aws:acm:region:account:certificate/xxx
  hosts:
    - host: ingress-dash.example.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix

High Availability Configuration

Enable autoscaling and configure pod disruption budgets:

replicaCount: 3

autoscaling:
  enabled: true
  minReplicas: 3
  maxReplicas: 10
  targetCPUUtilizationPercentage: 70
  targetMemoryUtilizationPercentage: 80

# Configure rolling update strategy
strategy:
  type: RollingUpdate
  rollingUpdate:
    maxSurge: 1
    maxUnavailable: 0

# Add pod anti-affinity for better distribution
affinity:
  - podAntiAffinity:
      preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
        - weight: 100
          podAffinityTerm:
            labelSelector:
              matchExpressions:
                - key: app.kubernetes.io/name
                  operator: In
                  values:
                    - kube-ingress-dash
            topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname

Security Hardening

Configure security contexts and RBAC:

# Run as non-root user
podSecurityContext:
  runAsNonRoot: true
  runAsUser: 1000
  fsGroup: 1000

securityContext:
  allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
  readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
  capabilities:
    drop:
      - ALL

# Customize RBAC
rbac:
  create: true
  enabled: true
  clusterRoleName: "kube-ingress-dash-viewer"
  clusterRoleBinding: true

Installation Options

Install to Specific Namespace

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --namespace kube-ingress-dash \
  --create-namespace

Install with Custom Values

Create a values.yaml file with your customizations and install:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --values values.yaml

Install with Inline Values

For quick testing, you can set values directly:

helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --set replicaCount=2 \
  --set resources.requests.cpu=100m \
  --set resources.requests.memory=128Mi

Configuration Reference

For a complete list of all available configuration options and their default values, see the auto-generated Chart README.

The chart provides extensive configuration options including:

Image Configuration: Repository, tag, pull policy, and secrets
Deployment Settings: Replica count, update strategy, and pod annotations
Service Configuration: Type, ports, and annotations
Ingress Settings: Hosts, paths, TLS, and annotations
RBAC Configuration: ClusterRole, ClusterRoleBinding, and ServiceAccount
Resource Management: CPU/memory requests and limits
Autoscaling: HPA configuration with CPU/memory targets
Health Checks: Liveness and readiness probe settings
Security: Pod security contexts and container security contexts
Scheduling: Node selectors, tolerations, and affinity rules

Key Configuration Options

Parameter	Description	Default
`image.repository`	Container image repository	`ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash`
`image.tag`	Container image tag	Chart appVersion
`replicaCount`	Number of replicas	`1`
`service.type`	Kubernetes service type	`ClusterIP`
`service.port`	Service port	`3000`
`ingress.enabled`	Enable ingress	`false`
`rbac.create`	Create RBAC resources	`true`
`rbac.clusterRoleBinding`	Create ClusterRoleBinding	`true`
`resources`	CPU/Memory resource requests/limits	`{}`
`autoscaling.enabled`	Enable horizontal pod autoscaling	`false`

Upgrading

Upgrade to a new version:

helm upgrade kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --values values.yaml

Check the upgrade status:

helm status kube-ingress-dash
helm history kube-ingress-dash

Uninstalling

Remove the deployment:

helm uninstall kube-ingress-dash

warning

This will remove all resources created by the chart, including the ClusterRole and ClusterRoleBinding.

Accessing the Dashboard

After installation, follow the instructions in the Helm output to access the dashboard.

Port Forward (Default)

If using the default ClusterIP service:

kubectl port-forward svc/kube-ingress-dash 8080:3000

Then open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Ingress

If you enabled ingress, access the dashboard at your configured hostname (e.g., https://ingress-dash.example.com).

LoadBalancer

If you set service.type: LoadBalancer:

kubectl get svc kube-ingress-dash

Access the dashboard at the external IP shown.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Pod Not Starting

Symptoms:

Pod stuck in Pending or CrashLoopBackOff state
Error messages in pod events

Solutions:

Check pod status and events:

kubectl get pods -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>

Check resource availability:

kubectl describe nodes

Verify resource limits aren't too restrictive:

resources:
  requests:
    cpu: 50m      # Lower if nodes are resource-constrained
    memory: 64Mi

Check image pull issues:

kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'

If image pull fails, verify imagePullSecrets are configured correctly.

Issue: RBAC Permission Errors

Symptoms:

Dashboard shows "Forbidden" or "Unauthorized" errors
Logs show 403 errors when accessing Kubernetes API

Solutions:

Verify RBAC resources exist:

kubectl get clusterrole kube-ingress-dash-viewer
kubectl get clusterrolebinding kube-ingress-dash-rolebinding
kubectl get serviceaccount kube-ingress-dash-viewer -n <namespace>

Check ClusterRole permissions:

kubectl describe clusterrole kube-ingress-dash-viewer

Ensure the ServiceAccount is bound correctly:

kubectl describe clusterrolebinding kube-ingress-dash-rolebinding

If using custom RBAC, ensure these permissions are granted:

rules:
  - apiGroups: ["networking.k8s.io"]
    resources: ["ingresses"]
    verbs: ["get", "list", "watch"]
  - apiGroups: [""]
    resources: ["namespaces"]
    verbs: ["get", "list"]

See RBAC Setup for detailed configuration.

Issue: Cannot Access Dashboard

Symptoms:

Cannot reach dashboard URL
Connection timeout or refused

Solutions:

Verify service is running:

kubectl get svc kube-ingress-dash

Check pod logs for errors:

kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash

For ClusterIP service, use port-forward:

kubectl port-forward svc/kube-ingress-dash 8080:3000

For Ingress, verify ingress resource:

kubectl get ingress kube-ingress-dash
kubectl describe ingress kube-ingress-dash

Check ingress controller logs:

# For NGINX
kubectl logs -n ingress-nginx -l app.kubernetes.io/name=ingress-nginx

# For Traefik
kubectl logs -n traefik -l app.kubernetes.io/name=traefik

Issue: High Memory Usage

Symptoms:

Pod being OOMKilled
High memory consumption in metrics

Solutions:

Increase memory limits:

resources:
  limits:
    memory: 512Mi  # Increase based on cluster size

Check for memory leaks in logs:

kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash --tail=100

Monitor memory usage:

kubectl top pod -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash

Issue: Ingress Not Working

Symptoms:

Ingress resource created but not accessible
404 or 502 errors

Solutions:

Verify ingress controller is installed:

kubectl get pods -n ingress-nginx  # or your ingress controller namespace

Check ingress resource status:

kubectl describe ingress kube-ingress-dash

Verify ingress class matches your controller:

ingress:
  className: nginx  # Must match your ingress controller

Check DNS resolution:

nslookup ingress-dash.example.com

Verify TLS certificate (if using HTTPS):

kubectl get certificate -n <namespace>
kubectl describe certificate ingress-dash-tls

Issue: Helm Install/Upgrade Fails

Symptoms:

Helm command returns error
Release in failed state

Solutions:

Check Helm release status:

helm list -n <namespace>
helm status kube-ingress-dash -n <namespace>

View detailed error:

helm get manifest kube-ingress-dash -n <namespace>

Rollback to previous version:

helm rollback kube-ingress-dash -n <namespace>

Uninstall and reinstall if necessary:

helm uninstall kube-ingress-dash -n <namespace>
helm install kube-ingress-dash \
  oci://ghcr.io/wasilak/kube-ingress-dash-chart \
  --version 0.3.1 \
  --namespace <namespace> \
  --values values.yaml

Debugging Commands

Useful commands for troubleshooting:

# Check pod status
kubectl get pods -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash

# View pod logs
kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash

# Follow logs in real-time
kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash -f

# Get pod events
kubectl get events --field-selector involvedObject.name=<pod-name>

# Verify RBAC
kubectl get clusterrole kube-ingress-dash-viewer
kubectl get clusterrolebinding kube-ingress-dash-rolebinding

# Check service endpoints
kubectl get endpoints kube-ingress-dash

# Test connectivity from within cluster
kubectl run -it --rm debug --image=curlimages/curl --restart=Never -- \
  curl http://kube-ingress-dash.default.svc.cluster.local:3000/api/health

# Check resource usage
kubectl top pod -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-ingress-dash

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

Check the GitHub Issues
Review the Chart README for all configuration options
See RBAC Setup for permission-related issues
Check Error Handling documentation

Chart README - Complete auto-generated values reference
RBAC Setup - Detailed RBAC configuration
Docker Deployment - Alternative deployment method
From Source - Development deployment
Error Handling - Understanding error messages

Prerequisites​

Quick Start​

Deployment Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Development/Testing Environment​

Scenario 2: Production Environment with Ingress​

Scenario 3: Multi-Cluster Monitoring​

Common Configuration Examples​

Custom Image Configuration​

Resource Limits and Requests​

Ingress Configuration Examples​

NGINX Ingress Controller​

Traefik Ingress Controller​

AWS ALB Ingress Controller​

High Availability Configuration​

Security Hardening​

Installation Options​

Install to Specific Namespace​

Install with Custom Values​

Install with Inline Values​

Configuration Reference​

Key Configuration Options​

Upgrading​

Uninstalling​

Accessing the Dashboard​

Port Forward (Default)​

Ingress​

LoadBalancer​

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues and Solutions​

Issue: Pod Not Starting​

Issue: RBAC Permission Errors​

Issue: Cannot Access Dashboard​

Issue: High Memory Usage​

Issue: Ingress Not Working​

Issue: Helm Install/Upgrade Fails​

Debugging Commands​

Getting Help​

Related Documentation​

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Deployment Scenarios

Scenario 1: Development/Testing Environment

Scenario 2: Production Environment with Ingress

Scenario 3: Multi-Cluster Monitoring

Common Configuration Examples

Custom Image Configuration

Resource Limits and Requests

Ingress Configuration Examples

NGINX Ingress Controller

Traefik Ingress Controller

AWS ALB Ingress Controller

High Availability Configuration

Security Hardening

Installation Options

Install to Specific Namespace

Install with Custom Values

Install with Inline Values

Configuration Reference

Key Configuration Options

Upgrading

Uninstalling

Accessing the Dashboard

Port Forward (Default)

Ingress

LoadBalancer

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Pod Not Starting

Issue: RBAC Permission Errors

Issue: Cannot Access Dashboard

Issue: High Memory Usage

Issue: Ingress Not Working

Issue: Helm Install/Upgrade Fails

Debugging Commands

Getting Help

Related Documentation