# Networking

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  "title": "Networking",
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  "categories": ["docs","operate","kubernetes"],
  "tableOfContents": {"sections":[{"id":"external-routing-using-redis-enterprise-for-kubernetes","title":"External routing using Redis Enterprise for Kubernetes"},{"id":"ingressorroutespec-for-active-active-databases","title":"ingressOrRouteSpec for Active-Active databases"},{"id":"rec-domain-name","title":"REC domain name"}]}

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Redis Enterprise for Kubernetes supports several ways to route external traffic to your RedisEnterpriseCluster:

- Ingress controllers [HAProxy](https://haproxy-ingress.github.io/) and [Ingress-NGINX](https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx/) (retired; existing deployments only) require an `ingress` API resource.
- [Istio](https://istio.io/latest/docs/setup/getting-started/) requires `Gateway` and `VirtualService` API resources.
- OpenShift uses [routes](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/networking/routes) to route external traffic.
- The RedisEnterpriseActiveActiveDatabase (REAADB) requires any of the above routing methods to be configured in the RedisEnterpriseCluster (REC) with the `ingressOrRouteSpec` field.

## External routing using Redis Enterprise for Kubernetes

Every time a RedisEnterpriseDatabase (REDB), Redis Enterprise Active-Active database (REAADB), or Redis Enterprise cluster (REC) is created, the Redis Enterprise operator automatically creates a [service](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/) to allow requests to be routed to that resource.

Redis Enterprise supports three [types of services](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#publishing-services-service-types) for accessing databases: `ClusterIP`, `headless`, or `LoadBalancer`.

By default, the operator creates a `ClusterIP` type service, which exposes a cluster-internal IP and that can only be accessed from within the K8s cluster. For requests to be routed from outside the K8s cluster, you need an [Ingress](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/ingress/) (or [route](https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/4.12/networking/routes/route-configuration.html) if you are using OpenShift). See [kubernetes.io](https://kubernetes.io/docs/) for more details on [Ingress](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/ingress/) and [Ingress controllers](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/ingress-controllers/).

* To use HAProxy as an Ingress controller, see [Ingress routing](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/networking/ingress). The community NGINX ingress controller is retired.
* To use OpenShift routes, see [OpenShift routes](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/networking/routes).
* To use Istio as an Ingress controller, see [Istio Ingress routing](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/networking/istio-ingress)

## `ingressOrRouteSpec` for Active-Active databases

Versions 6.4.2 or later of Redis Enterprise for Kubernetes include a feature for ingress configuration. The `ingressOrRouteSpec` field is available in the RedisEnterpriseCluster spec to automatically create an Ingress (or route) for the API service and databases (REAADB) on that REC. See [REC external routing](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/networking/ingressorroutespec) for more details.

This feature only supports automatic Ingress creation for Active-Active databases created and managed with the RedisEnterpriseActiveActiveDatabase (REAADB) custom resource. Use with the standard Redis Enterprise database (REDB) is not currently supported.

## REC domain name

The RedisEnterpriseCluster does not support custom domain names. Domain names for the REC are in the following format: `<rec-name>.<namespace>.svc.cluster.local`.