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Interactive Explainer

kube-proxy & Service Networking

How kube-proxy programs iptables/IPVS rules to implement Kubernetes Service virtual IP routing across nodes.

🎯Key Takeaways
kube-proxy = Service → Pod routing rules
IPVS mode: better performance than iptables at scale
Cilium can replace kube-proxy with eBPF (faster, more observable)

kube-proxy & Service Networking

How kube-proxy programs iptables/IPVS rules to implement Kubernetes Service virtual IP routing across nodes.

~1 min read
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What you'll learn
  • kube-proxy = Service → Pod routing rules
  • IPVS mode: better performance than iptables at scale
  • Cilium can replace kube-proxy with eBPF (faster, more observable)

kube-proxy Modes

kube-proxy watches Services and Endpoints and programs routing rules. iptables mode: creates NAT rules per Service. IPVS mode: uses kernel virtual server for better performance at scale (100k+ services). Cilium can replace kube-proxy entirely using eBPF maps.

Key takeaways

  • kube-proxy = Service → Pod routing rules
  • IPVS mode: better performance than iptables at scale
  • Cilium can replace kube-proxy with eBPF (faster, more observable)

Related concepts

Explore topics that connect to this one.

  • Kubernetes CNI Plugins & Pod Networking
  • kubernetes services endpoints
  • dns service discovery

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network policies deep dive

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