---
layout: docs
page_title: Consul API Gateway Install
description: >-
Installing Consul API Gateway
---
# Installing Consul API Gateway
This topic describes how to use the Consul API Gateway add-on module. It includes instructions for installation and configuration.
## Requirements
Ensure that the environment you are deploying Consul API Gateway in meets the requirements listed in the [Technical Specifications][tech-specs]. This includes validating that the requirements for minimum versions of software are met. See the [Release Notes][rel-notes] for the version of API Gateway you are deploying.
## Installation
-> **NOTE:** When you see `VERSION` in examples of commands or configuration settings, replace `VERSION` with the version number of the release you are installing, like `0.2.0`. If there is a lower case "v" in front of `VERSION` the version number needs to follow the "v" as is `v0.2.0`
1. Issue the following command to install the CRDs:
```shell-session
$ kubectl apply --kustomize="github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/config/crd?ref=vVERSION"
```
1. Create a `values.yaml` file for your Consul API Gateway deployment. Copy the content below into the `values.yaml` file. The `values.yaml` will be used by the Consul Helm chart. Available versions of the [Consul](https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/consul/tags) and [Consul API Gateway](https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/tags) Docker images can be found on DockerHub, with additional context on version compatibility published in [GitHub releases](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/releases). See [Helm Chart Configuration - apiGateway](https://www.consul.io/docs/k8s/helm#apigateway) for more available options on how to configure your Consul API Gateway deployment via the Helm chart.
```yaml
global:
name: consul
connectInject:
enabled: true
controller:
enabled: true
apiGateway:
enabled: true
image: hashicorp/consul-api-gateway:VERSION
```
1. Install Consul API Gateway using the standard Consul Helm chart and specify the custom values file. Available versions of the [Consul Helm chart](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-k8s/releases) can be found in GitHub releases.
```shell-session
$ helm install consul hashicorp/consul --version 0.43.0 --values values.yaml --create-namespace --namespace consul
```
## Usage
1. Verify that the [requirements](#requirements) have been met.
1. Verify that the Consul API Gateway CRDs and controller have been installed and applied (see [Installation](#installation)).
1. Configure the artifacts described below in [Configuration](#configuration).
```yaml
apiGateway:
managedGatewayClass:
enabled: true
```
1. Issue the `kubectl apply` command to implement the configurations, e.g.:
```shell-session
$ kubectl apply -f gateway.yaml routes.yaml
```
## Configuration
Configure the following artifacts to facilitate ingress into your Consul service mesh:
- [GatewayClassConfig](#gatewayclassconfig): Describes additional Consul API Gateway-related configuration parameters for the `GatewayClass` resource.
- [GatewayClass](#gatewayclass): Defines a class of gateway resources that you can use as a template for creating gateways.
- [Gateway](#gateway): Defines the main infrastructure resource that links API gateway components. It specifies the name of the `GatewayClass` and one or more `listeners` (see [Listeners](#listeners)), which specify the logical endpoints bound to the gateway's addresses.
- [Routes](#routes): Specifies the path from the client to the listener.
-> **Note:** Add the following `managedGatewayClass` configuration to the `values.yaml` Helm configuration to enable the `GatewayClassConfig` and `GatewayClass` to be created automatically. The gateway, listeners, and routes will need to be configured manually. When `managedGatewayClass` is enabled, the [`serviceType`](/docs/k8s/helm#v-apigateway-managedgatewayclass-servicetype) for a managed `GatewayClass` will also default to `LoadBalancer`, which is appropriate for most deployments to managed Kubernetes cloud offerings (i.e., EKS, GKE, AKS). Other deployments, such as to a [kind](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/) cluster, may require specifying `NodePort` or `ClusterIP`, instead.
### GatewayClassConfig
The `GatewayClassConfig` object describes Consul API Gateway-related configuration parameters for the [`GatewayClass`](#gatewayclass).
Add the `kind: GatewayClassConfig` option to the gateway values file to declare a gateway class.
The following example creates a gateway class configuration called `test-gateway-class-config`:
```yaml
apiVersion: api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com/v1alpha1
kind: GatewayClassConfig
metadata:
name: test-gateway-class-config
spec:
useHostPorts: true
logLevel: 'trace'
consul:
scheme: 'https'
ports:
http: 8501
grpc: 8502
```
The following table describes the allowed parameters for the `spec` array:
| Parameter | Description | Type | Default |
| --- | --- | ---- | ------- |
| `consul.address` | Specifies the address of the Consul server to communicate with in the gateway pod. If unspecified, the pod will attempt to use a local agent on the host on which the pod is running. | String | N/A |
| `consul.authentication.account` | Specifies the Kubernetes service account to use for authentication. | String | N/A |
| `consul.authentication.managed` | Set to `true` to enable deployments to run with managed service accounts created by the gateway controller. The `consul.authentication.account` field is ignored when this option is enabled. | Boolean | `false` |
| `consul.authentication.method` | Specifies the Consul auth method used for initial authentication by Consul API Gateway. | String | N/A |
| `consul.authentication.namespace` | Specifies the Consul namespace to use for authentication. | String | N/A |
| `consul.ports.grpc` | Specifies the gRPC port for Consul's xDS server. | Integer | `8502` |
| `consul.ports.http` | Specifies the port for Consul's HTTP server. | Integer | `8500` |
| `consul.scheme` | Specifies the scheme to use for connecting to Consul. The supported values are `"http"` and `"https"`. | String | `"http"` |
| `copyAnnotations.service` | List of annotations to copy to the gateway service. | Array | `["external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname"]` |
| `deployment.defaultInstances` | Specifies the number of gateway instances that should be deployed by default. | Integer | 1 |
| `image.consulAPIGateway` | The image to use for consul-api-gateway. View available image tags on [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/tags). | String | `"hashicorp/consul-api-gateway:RELEASE_VERSION"` |
| `image.envoy` | Specifies the container image to use for Envoy. View available image tags on [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/r/envoyproxy/envoy/tags). | String | `"envoyproxy/envoy:RELEASE_VERSION"` |
| `logLevel` | Specifies the error reporting level for logs. You can specify the following values: `error`, `warning`, `info`, `debug`, `trace`. | String | `"info"` |
| `nodeSelector` | Specifies a set of parameters that constrain the nodes on which the pod can run. Defining nodes with the `nodeSelector` enables the pod to fit on a node. The selector must match a node's labels for the pod to be scheduled on that node. Refer to the [Kubernetes documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/assign-pod-node/) for additional information. | Object | N/A |
| `serviceType` | Specifies the ingress methods for a service. The following values are supported:
`ClusterIP`
`NodePort`
`LoadBalancer`. | String | N/A |
| `useHostPorts` | If set to `true`, then the Envoy container ports are mapped to host ports. | Boolean | `false` |
Refer to the [Consul API Gateway repository](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/blob/main/config/crd/bases/api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com_gatewayclassconfigs.yaml) for the complete specification.
### GatewayClass
The `GatewayClass` resource is used as a template for creating `Gateway` resources.
The specification includes the name of the controller (`controllerName`) and an API object containing controller-specific configuration resources within the cluster (`parametersRef`).
The value of the `controllerName` field must be set to `hashicorp.com/consul-api-gateway-controller`.
When gateways are created from a `GatewayClass`, they use the parameters specified in the `GatewayClass` at the time of instantiation.
Add the `kind: GatewayClass` option to the the gateway values file to declare a gateway class.
The following example creates a gateway class called `test-gateway-class`:
```yaml
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
kind: GatewayClass
metadata:
name: test-gateway-class
spec:
controllerName: 'hashicorp.com/consul-api-gateway-controller'
parametersRef:
group: api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com
kind: GatewayClassConfig
name: test-gateway-class-config
```
Refer to the [Kubernetes Gateway API documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.GatewayClass) for details about configuring gateway classes.
### Gateway
The gateway configuration is the main infrastructure resource that links API gateway components. It specifies the name of the `GatewayClass` and one or more `listeners`.
Add the `kind: Gateway` option to the configuration file to declare a gateway.
The following example creates a gateway called `example-gateway`.
The gateway is based on the `test-gateway-class` and includes a listener called `https` (see [Listeners](#listeners) for details about the `listener` configuration).
```yaml
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
kind: Gateway
metadata:
name: example-gateway
annotations:
'external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname': DNS_HOSTNAME
spec:
gatewayClassName: test-gateway-class
listeners:
- protocol: HTTPS
hostname: DNS_HOSTNAME
port: 443
name: https
allowedRoutes:
namespaces:
from: Same
tls:
certificateRefs:
- name: gateway-production-certificate
```
Refer to the [Kubernetes Gateway API documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.Gateway) for details about configuring gateways:
#### Listeners
Listeners are the logical endpoints bound to the gateway's addresses.
Add the `listener` object to the `gateway` configuration and specify the following properties to define a listener:
| Parameter | Description | Type | Default |
| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | --------------- |
| `hostname` | Specifies the virtual hostname to match for protocol types. | String | none |
| `port` | Specifies the network port number. | Integer | none |
| `protocol` | Specifies the network protocol expected by the listener. | String | `http` |
| `tls` | Collection of parameters that specify TLS options for the listener. Refer to the [`GatewayTLSConfig`](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.GatewayTLSConfig) documentation for additional information about configuring TLS. | Object | N/A |
| `tls.mode` | Specifies a mode for operating Consul API Gateway listeners over TLS.
You can only specify the `Terminate` mode, which configures the TLS session between the downstream client and the gateway to terminate at the gateway.
Refer to the [`TLSModeType` documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.TLSModeType) for additional information. | String | `Terminate` |
| `tls.certificateRefs` | Specifies the name of secret object used for Envoy SDS (Secret Discovery Service) to support terminating TLS. Refer to the [`[]*SecretObjectReference` documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.SecretObjectReference) for additional information. | String | N/A |
| `tls.options` | Specifies key/value pairs to enable extended TLS configuration specific to an implementation. | Object | N/A |
| `tls.options.tls_min_version` | Specifies the minimum TLS version supported for the listener. The following values are supported: `TLS_AUTO`, `TLSv1_0`, `TLSv1_1`, `TLSv1_2`, `TLSv1_3`. | String | `TLS 1.2` |
| `tls.options.tls_max_version` | Specifies the maximum TLS version supported for the listener. The specified version must be greater than or equal to `TLSMinVersion`. The following values are supported: `TLS_AUTO`, `TLSv1_0`, `TLSv1_1`, `TLSv1_2`, `TLSv1_3`. | String | `TLS 1.3` |
| `tls.options.tls_cipher_suites` | Specifies the list of TLS cipher suites to support when negotiating connections using TLS 1.2 or earlier.
If unspecified, a [more secure set of cipher suites](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/blob/main/internal/common/tls.go#L3-L10) than Envoy's current [default server cipher list](https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/api-v3/extensions/transport_sockets/tls/v3/common.proto#envoy-v3-api-field-extensions-transport-sockets-tls-v3-tlsparameters-cipher-suites) will be used.
The full list of supported cipher suites can seen in [`internal/common/tls.go`](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/blob/main/internal/common/tls.go) and is dependent on underlying support in Envoy. | String | See description |
Refer to the [Kubernetes Gateway API documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.Listener) for details about configuring listeners.
### Route
Routes are independent configuration objects that are associated with specific listeners.
Declare a route with either `kind: HTTPRoute` or `kind: TCPRoute` and configure the route parameters in the `spec` block.
Refer to the Kubernetes Gateway API documentation for each object type for details:
- [HTTPRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.HTTPRoute)
- [TCPRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.TCPRoute)
The following example creates a route named `example-route` associated with a listener defined in `example-gateway`.
```yaml
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
name: example-route
spec:
parentRefs:
- name: example-gateway
rules:
- backendRefs:
- kind: Service
name: echo
port: 8080
```
To create a route for a `backendRef` in a different namespace, you must also
create a [ReferencePolicy](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.ReferencePolicy).
The following example creates a route named `example-route` in namespace `gateway-namespace`. This route has a `backendRef` in namespace `service-namespace`. Traffic is allowed because the `ReferencePolicy`, named `reference-policy` in namespace `service-namespace`, allows traffic from `HTTPRoutes` in `gateway-namespace` to `Services` in `service-namespace`.
```yaml
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
name: example-route
namespace: gateway-namespace
spec:
parentRefs:
- name: example-gateway
rules:
- backendRefs:
- kind: Service
name: echo
namespace: service-namespace
port: 8080
---
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
kind: ReferencePolicy
metadata:
name: reference-policy
namespace: service-namespace
spec:
from:
- group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
kind: HTTPRoute
namespace: gateway-namespace
to:
- group: ""
kind: Service
name: echo
```
### MeshService
The `MeshService` configuration holds a reference to an externally-managed Consul service mesh service and can be used as a `backendRef` for a [`Route`](#route).
| Parameter | Description | Type | Default |
| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | --------------- |
| `name` | Specifies the service name for a Consul service. It is assumed this service will exist in either the `consulDestinationNamespace` or mirrored Consul namespace from where this custom resource is defined, depending on the Helm configuration.
Refer to the [Consul API Gateway repository](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway/blob/main/config/crd/bases/api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com_meshservices.yaml) for the complete specification.
[tech-specs]: /docs/api-gateway/tech-specs
[rel-notes]: /docs/release-notes