How to change the service type of Kubernetes Dashboard?

Changing the Service Type of Kubernetes Dashboard

The Kubernetes Dashboard is a web-based user interface for managing and monitoring your Kubernetes cluster. By default, the Kubernetes Dashboard is exposed as a Kubernetes Service with a ClusterIP type, which means it can only be accessed from within the cluster. However, you may want to change the service type to make the Dashboard accessible from outside the cluster.

Here's how you can change the service type of the Kubernetes Dashboard:

1. Identify the Kubernetes Dashboard Service

First, you need to identify the Kubernetes Dashboard Service. You can do this by running the following command:

kubectl get service -n kubernetes-dashboard

This will list all the services in the kubernetes-dashboard namespace, and you should see the Kubernetes Dashboard Service.

2. Edit the Kubernetes Dashboard Service

Next, you need to edit the Kubernetes Dashboard Service to change the service type. You can do this by running the following command:

kubectl edit service kubernetes-dashboard -n kubernetes-dashboard

This will open the service configuration file in your default text editor. Look for the spec.type field and change it to the desired service type. For example, to change the service type to NodePort, you would update the spec.type field as follows:

spec:
  type: NodePort
  # other service configuration

Save the changes and exit the text editor.

3. Verify the Service Type Change

After updating the service type, you can verify the changes by running the following command:

kubectl get service kubernetes-dashboard -n kubernetes-dashboard

You should see the updated service type in the output.

4. Access the Kubernetes Dashboard

Depending on the service type you chose, you can access the Kubernetes Dashboard in different ways:

• ClusterIP: The Dashboard is only accessible from within the cluster. You can access it by running a proxy or by using port-forwarding.
• NodePort: The Dashboard is accessible from outside the cluster using the node's IP address and the assigned NodePort. You can find the NodePort by looking at the spec.ports[0].nodePort field in the service output.
• LoadBalancer: The Dashboard is accessible using a load-balancer service, which typically has an external IP address.

For example, if you changed the service type to NodePort, you can access the Kubernetes Dashboard by visiting http://<node-ip>:<node-port> in your web browser.

Conclusion

Changing the service type of the Kubernetes Dashboard allows you to access the Dashboard from outside the cluster, making it easier to manage and monitor your Kubernetes environment. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily change the service type to suit your needs.