Manage Elasticsearch Services Using the Declarative Cluster API in KubeBlocks

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for exposing Elasticsearch services managed by KubeBlocks, both externally and internally. You'll learn to configure external access using cloud provider LoadBalancer services, manage internal services, and properly disable external exposure when no longer needed.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

Environment Setup:
- A Kubernetes cluster is up and running.
- The kubectl CLI tool is configured to communicate with your cluster.
- KubeBlocks CLI and KubeBlocks Operator are installed. Follow the installation instructions here.
Namespace Preparation: To keep resources isolated, create a dedicated namespace for this tutorial:

kubectl create ns demo
namespace/demo created

Deploy a Elasticsearch Cluster

KubeBlocks uses a declarative approach for managing Elasticsearch Clusters. Below is an example configuration for deploying a Elasticsearch Cluster with create a cluster with replicas for different roles.

Apply the following YAML configuration to deploy the cluster:

apiVersion: apps.kubeblocks.io/v1
kind: Cluster
metadata:
  name: es-multinode
  namespace: demo
spec:
  terminationPolicy: Delete
  componentSpecs:
    - name: dit
      componentDef: elasticsearch-8
      serviceVersion: 8.8.2
      configs:
        - name: es-cm
          variables:
            # use key `roles` to specify roles this component assume
            roles: data,ingest,transform
      replicas: 3
      disableExporter: false
      resources:
        limits:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
        requests:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
      volumeClaimTemplates:
        - name: data
          spec:
            accessModes:
              - ReadWriteOnce
            resources:
              requests:
                storage: 20Gi
    - name: master
      componentDef: elasticsearch-8
      serviceVersion: 8.8.2
      configs:
        - name: es-cm
          variables:
            # use key `roles` to specify roles this component assume
            roles: master
      replicas: 3
      disableExporter: false
      resources:
        limits:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
        requests:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
      volumeClaimTemplates:
        - name: data
          spec:
            accessModes:
              - ReadWriteOnce
            resources:
              requests:
                storage: 20Gi

Verifying the Deployment

Monitor the cluster status until it transitions to the Running state:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

Expected Output:

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS     AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Creating   10s
es-multinode                        Delete               Updating   41s
es-multinode                        Delete               Running    42s

Check the pod status and roles:

kubectl get pods -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Expected Output:

NAME                    READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
es-multinode-dit-0      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-dit-1      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-dit-2      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-0   3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-1   3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-2   3/3     Running   0          6m21s

Once the cluster status becomes Running, your Elasticsearch cluster is ready for use.

TIP

If you are creating the cluster for the very first time, it may take some time to pull images before running.

View Network Services

List the Services created for the Elasticsearch cluster:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Example Services:

NAME                       TYPE        CLUSTER-IP     EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)    AGE
es-multinode-dit-http      ClusterIP   10.96.224.72   <none>        9200/TCP   56m
es-multinode-master-http   ClusterIP   10.96.153.35   <none>        9200/TCP   56m

Expose Elasticsearch Service

External service addresses enable public internet access to Elasticsearch, while internal service addresses restrict access to the user's VPC.

Service Types Comparison

Type	Use Case	Cloud Cost	Security
ClusterIP	Internal service communication	Free	Highest
NodePort	Development/testing	Low	Moderate
LoadBalancer	Production external access	High	Managed via security groups

Option 1: Using OpsRequest

To expose the Elasticsearch service externally using a LoadBalancer, create an OpsRequest resource:

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: es-multinode-expose-enable-ops
  namespace: demo
spec:
  type: Expose
  clusterName: es-multinode
  expose:
  - componentName: master
    services:
    - name: internet
      # Determines how the Service is exposed. Defaults to 'ClusterIP'.
      # Valid options are 'ClusterIP', 'NodePort', and 'LoadBalancer'.
      serviceType: LoadBalancer
      ports:
      - name: es-http
        port: 9200
        protocol: TCP
        targetPort: es-http
      # Contains cloud provider related parameters if ServiceType is LoadBalancer.
      # Following is an example for AWS EKS
      annotations:
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # or "true" for an internal VPC IP
    switch: Enable

Wait for the OpsRequest to complete:

kubectl get ops es-multinode-expose-enable-ops -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                             TYPE     CLUSTER        STATUS    PROGRESS   AGE
es-multinode-expose-enable-ops   Expose   es-multinode   Succeed   1/1        31s

Option 2: Using Cluster API

Alternatively, update the spec.services section in the Cluster resource to include a LoadBalancer service:

apiVersion: apps.kubeblocks.io/v1
kind: Cluster
metadata:
  name: es-multinode
  namespace: demo
spec:
  terminationPolicy: Delete
  clusterDef: elasticsearch
  # expose a external service
  services:
    - annotations:
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb  # Use Network Load Balancer
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # or "true" for an internal VPC IP
      componentSelector: master
      name: master-internet
      serviceName: master-internet
      spec:
        ports:
        - name: es-http
          nodePort: 32751
          port: 9200
          protocol: TCP
          targetPort: es-http
        type: LoadBalancer
  componentSpecs:
  ...

The YAML configuration above adds a new external service under the services section. This LoadBalancer service includes annotations for AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB).

NOTE

Cloud Provider Annotations

When using a LoadBalancer service, you must include the appropriate annotations specific to your cloud provider. Below is a list of commonly used annotations for different cloud providers:

service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb  # Use Network Load Balancer
service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "true"  # Use "false" for internet-facing LoadBalancer

Azure

service.beta.kubernetes.io/azure-load-balancer-internal: "true" # Use "false" for internet-facing LoadBalancer

networking.gke.io/load-balancer-type: "Internal"  # Restricts the LoadBalancer to internal VPC access only. Defaults to internet-facing if not specified.
cloud.google.com/l4-rbs: "enabled" # Optimization for internet-facing LoadBalancer

Alibaba Cloud

service.beta.kubernetes.io/alibaba-cloud-loadbalancer-address-type: "internet"  # Use "intranet" for internal-facing LoadBalancer

NOTE

The service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal annotation controls whether the LoadBalancer is internal or internet-facing. Note that this annotation cannot be modified dynamically after service creation.

  service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # Use "true" for internal VPC IPs

If you change this annotation from "false" to "true" after the Service is created, the annotation may update in the Service object, but the LoadBalancer will still retain its public IP.

To properly modify this behavior:

First, delete the existing LoadBalancer service.
Recreate the service with the updated annotation (service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "true").
Wait for the new LoadBalancer to be provisioned with the correct internal or external IP.

Wait for the Cluster status to transition to Running using the following command:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS    AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Running   18m

Verify the Exposed Service

Check the service details to confirm the LoadBalancer service is created:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                           TYPE            CLUSTER-IP     EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)          AGE
es-multinode-dit-http          ClusterIP       10.96.224.72   <none>        9200/TCP         59m
es-multinode-master-http       ClusterIP       10.96.153.35   <none>        9200/TCP         59m
es-multinode-master-internet   LoadBalancer    10.96.38.72    <EXTERNAL_IP> 9200:30998/TCP   19s

Disable External Exposure

Option 1: Using OpsRequest

To disable external access, create an OpsRequest:

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: es-multinode-expose-disable-ops
  namespace: demo
spec:
  clusterName: es-multinode
  expose:
  - componentName: master
    services:
    - name: internet
      serviceType: LoadBalancer
    switch: Disable
  preConditionDeadlineSeconds: 0
  type: Expose

Wait for the OpsRequest to complete:

kubectl get ops es-multinode-expose-disable-ops -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                              TYPE     CLUSTER        STATUS    PROGRESS   AGE
es-multinode-expose-disable-ops   Expose   es-multinode   Succeed   1/1        16s

Option 2: Using Cluster API

Alternatively, remove the spec.services field from the Cluster resource:

kubectl patch cluster es-multinode -n demo --type=json -p='[
  {
    "op": "remove",
    "path": "/spec/services"
  }
]'

Monitor the cluster status until it is Running:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS    AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Running   26m

Verify Service Removal

Ensure that the 'es-multinode-elasticsearch-internet' Service is removed:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Expected Result: The 'es-multinode-elasticsearch-internet' Service should be removed.

Cleanup

To remove all created resources, delete the Elasticsearch cluster along with its namespace:

kubectl delete cluster es-multinode -n demo
kubectl delete ns demo

Summary

This guide demonstrated how to:

Expose a Elasticsearch service externally or internally using KubeBlocks.
Configure LoadBalancer services with cloud provider-specific annotations.
Manage external access by enabling or disabling services via OpsRequest or direct updates to the Cluster API.

KubeBlocks provides flexibility and simplicity for managing MySQL services in Kubernetes environments. simplicity for managing Elasticsearch services in Kubernetes environments.

Manage Elasticsearch Services Using the Declarative Cluster API in KubeBlocks

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

Environment Setup:
- A Kubernetes cluster is up and running.
- The kubectl CLI tool is configured to communicate with your cluster.
- KubeBlocks CLI and KubeBlocks Operator are installed. Follow the installation instructions here.
Namespace Preparation: To keep resources isolated, create a dedicated namespace for this tutorial:

kubectl create ns demo
namespace/demo created

Deploy a Elasticsearch Cluster

Apply the following YAML configuration to deploy the cluster:

apiVersion: apps.kubeblocks.io/v1
kind: Cluster
metadata:
  name: es-multinode
  namespace: demo
spec:
  terminationPolicy: Delete
  componentSpecs:
    - name: dit
      componentDef: elasticsearch-8
      serviceVersion: 8.8.2
      configs:
        - name: es-cm
          variables:
            # use key `roles` to specify roles this component assume
            roles: data,ingest,transform
      replicas: 3
      disableExporter: false
      resources:
        limits:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
        requests:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
      volumeClaimTemplates:
        - name: data
          spec:
            accessModes:
              - ReadWriteOnce
            resources:
              requests:
                storage: 20Gi
    - name: master
      componentDef: elasticsearch-8
      serviceVersion: 8.8.2
      configs:
        - name: es-cm
          variables:
            # use key `roles` to specify roles this component assume
            roles: master
      replicas: 3
      disableExporter: false
      resources:
        limits:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
        requests:
          cpu: "1"
          memory: "2Gi"
      volumeClaimTemplates:
        - name: data
          spec:
            accessModes:
              - ReadWriteOnce
            resources:
              requests:
                storage: 20Gi

Verifying the Deployment

Monitor the cluster status until it transitions to the Running state:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

Expected Output:

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS     AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Creating   10s
es-multinode                        Delete               Updating   41s
es-multinode                        Delete               Running    42s

Check the pod status and roles:

kubectl get pods -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Expected Output:

NAME                    READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
es-multinode-dit-0      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-dit-1      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-dit-2      3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-0   3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-1   3/3     Running   0          6m21s
es-multinode-master-2   3/3     Running   0          6m21s

Once the cluster status becomes Running, your Elasticsearch cluster is ready for use.

TIP

If you are creating the cluster for the very first time, it may take some time to pull images before running.

View Network Services

List the Services created for the Elasticsearch cluster:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Example Services:

NAME                       TYPE        CLUSTER-IP     EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)    AGE
es-multinode-dit-http      ClusterIP   10.96.224.72   <none>        9200/TCP   56m
es-multinode-master-http   ClusterIP   10.96.153.35   <none>        9200/TCP   56m

Expose Elasticsearch Service

External service addresses enable public internet access to Elasticsearch, while internal service addresses restrict access to the user's VPC.

Service Types Comparison

Type	Use Case	Cloud Cost	Security
ClusterIP	Internal service communication	Free	Highest
NodePort	Development/testing	Low	Moderate
LoadBalancer	Production external access	High	Managed via security groups

Option 1: Using OpsRequest

To expose the Elasticsearch service externally using a LoadBalancer, create an OpsRequest resource:

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: es-multinode-expose-enable-ops
  namespace: demo
spec:
  type: Expose
  clusterName: es-multinode
  expose:
  - componentName: master
    services:
    - name: internet
      # Determines how the Service is exposed. Defaults to 'ClusterIP'.
      # Valid options are 'ClusterIP', 'NodePort', and 'LoadBalancer'.
      serviceType: LoadBalancer
      ports:
      - name: es-http
        port: 9200
        protocol: TCP
        targetPort: es-http
      # Contains cloud provider related parameters if ServiceType is LoadBalancer.
      # Following is an example for AWS EKS
      annotations:
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # or "true" for an internal VPC IP
    switch: Enable

Wait for the OpsRequest to complete:

kubectl get ops es-multinode-expose-enable-ops -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                             TYPE     CLUSTER        STATUS    PROGRESS   AGE
es-multinode-expose-enable-ops   Expose   es-multinode   Succeed   1/1        31s

Option 2: Using Cluster API

Alternatively, update the spec.services section in the Cluster resource to include a LoadBalancer service:

apiVersion: apps.kubeblocks.io/v1
kind: Cluster
metadata:
  name: es-multinode
  namespace: demo
spec:
  terminationPolicy: Delete
  clusterDef: elasticsearch
  # expose a external service
  services:
    - annotations:
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb  # Use Network Load Balancer
        service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # or "true" for an internal VPC IP
      componentSelector: master
      name: master-internet
      serviceName: master-internet
      spec:
        ports:
        - name: es-http
          nodePort: 32751
          port: 9200
          protocol: TCP
          targetPort: es-http
        type: LoadBalancer
  componentSpecs:
  ...

The YAML configuration above adds a new external service under the services section. This LoadBalancer service includes annotations for AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB).

NOTE

Cloud Provider Annotations

When using a LoadBalancer service, you must include the appropriate annotations specific to your cloud provider. Below is a list of commonly used annotations for different cloud providers:

service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-type: nlb  # Use Network Load Balancer
service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "true"  # Use "false" for internet-facing LoadBalancer

Azure

service.beta.kubernetes.io/azure-load-balancer-internal: "true" # Use "false" for internet-facing LoadBalancer

networking.gke.io/load-balancer-type: "Internal"  # Restricts the LoadBalancer to internal VPC access only. Defaults to internet-facing if not specified.
cloud.google.com/l4-rbs: "enabled" # Optimization for internet-facing LoadBalancer

Alibaba Cloud

service.beta.kubernetes.io/alibaba-cloud-loadbalancer-address-type: "internet"  # Use "intranet" for internal-facing LoadBalancer

NOTE

  service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "false"  # Use "true" for internal VPC IPs

If you change this annotation from "false" to "true" after the Service is created, the annotation may update in the Service object, but the LoadBalancer will still retain its public IP.

To properly modify this behavior:

First, delete the existing LoadBalancer service.
Recreate the service with the updated annotation (service.beta.kubernetes.io/aws-load-balancer-internal: "true").
Wait for the new LoadBalancer to be provisioned with the correct internal or external IP.

Wait for the Cluster status to transition to Running using the following command:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS    AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Running   18m

Verify the Exposed Service

Check the service details to confirm the LoadBalancer service is created:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                           TYPE            CLUSTER-IP     EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)          AGE
es-multinode-dit-http          ClusterIP       10.96.224.72   <none>        9200/TCP         59m
es-multinode-master-http       ClusterIP       10.96.153.35   <none>        9200/TCP         59m
es-multinode-master-internet   LoadBalancer    10.96.38.72    <EXTERNAL_IP> 9200:30998/TCP   19s

Disable External Exposure

Option 1: Using OpsRequest

To disable external access, create an OpsRequest:

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: es-multinode-expose-disable-ops
  namespace: demo
spec:
  clusterName: es-multinode
  expose:
  - componentName: master
    services:
    - name: internet
      serviceType: LoadBalancer
    switch: Disable
  preConditionDeadlineSeconds: 0
  type: Expose

Wait for the OpsRequest to complete:

kubectl get ops es-multinode-expose-disable-ops -n demo

Example Output:

NAME                              TYPE     CLUSTER        STATUS    PROGRESS   AGE
es-multinode-expose-disable-ops   Expose   es-multinode   Succeed   1/1        16s

Option 2: Using Cluster API

Alternatively, remove the spec.services field from the Cluster resource:

kubectl patch cluster es-multinode -n demo --type=json -p='[
  {
    "op": "remove",
    "path": "/spec/services"
  }
]'

Monitor the cluster status until it is Running:

kubectl get cluster es-multinode -n demo -w

NAME           CLUSTER-DEFINITION   TERMINATION-POLICY   STATUS    AGE
es-multinode                        Delete               Running   26m

Verify Service Removal

Ensure that the 'es-multinode-elasticsearch-internet' Service is removed:

kubectl get service -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=es-multinode -n demo

Expected Result: The 'es-multinode-elasticsearch-internet' Service should be removed.

Cleanup

To remove all created resources, delete the Elasticsearch cluster along with its namespace:

kubectl delete cluster es-multinode -n demo
kubectl delete ns demo

Summary

This guide demonstrated how to:

Expose a Elasticsearch service externally or internally using KubeBlocks.
Configure LoadBalancer services with cloud provider-specific annotations.
Manage external access by enabling or disabling services via OpsRequest or direct updates to the Cluster API.

KubeBlocks provides flexibility and simplicity for managing MySQL services in Kubernetes environments. simplicity for managing Elasticsearch services in Kubernetes environments.