A Kubernetes-native certificate management tool that automates the issuance and renewal of SSL certificates using free providers like Let's Encrypt.
Free SSL on Kubernetes with cert-manager
This tool is used to secure Kubernetes cluster ingress traffic by automating the management of SSL/TLS certificates, ensuring encrypted communication for services running inside the cluster. It is ideal for Kubernetes administrators and DevOps engineers who need to implement and maintain secure service communication without manual certificate handling.
Requires a Kubernetes cluster with an ingress controller like Nginx and kubectl access. It is recommended to store applied manifests for easier recovery. Cert-manager versions should be chosen carefully to match cluster compatibility. Proper configuration of Issuer and Certificate resources is necessary to automate certificate issuance and renewal.
Create the cert-manager namespace: kubectl create ns cert-manager
Install cert-manager CustomResourceDefinitions and components: kubectl -n cert-manager apply -f https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/releases/download/v1.3.1/cert-manager.yaml
Optionally download and save the cert-manager manifest for backup: curl -LO https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/releases/download/v1.3.1/cert-manager.yaml
Rename the downloaded manifest file for clarity: mv cert-manager.yaml cert-manager-1.3.1.yaml
Verify installation by checking cert-manager pods and services: kubectl -n cert-manager get allkubectl create ns cert-manager
Creates a dedicated namespace for cert-manager components.
kubectl -n cert-manager apply -f https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/releases/download/v1.3.1/cert-manager.yaml
Installs cert-manager and its CustomResourceDefinitions into the Kubernetes cluster.
curl -LO https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/releases/download/v1.3.1/cert-manager.yaml
Downloads the cert-manager manifest YAML file locally.
mv cert-manager.yaml cert-manager-1.3.1.yaml
Renames the downloaded manifest file for version tracking.
kubectl -n cert-manager get all
Lists all cert-manager related pods, services, deployments, and replicasets to verify successful installation.