HashiCorp Boundary offers secure, identity-aware access to infrastructure without opening networks to the public internet. Kubernetes Ingress exposes HTTP and HTTPS routes to services inside a cluster. Bringing them together means controlled, audited, and streamlined entry to cluster workloads without relying on VPNs or static firewall rules.
When you deploy HashiCorp Boundary alongside Kubernetes Ingress, the first step is to define your Boundary targets. Each target represents a service inside the cluster you want to expose. Boundary brokers the connection based on identity and policy, ensuring only authorized users get session access. Unlike open Ingress endpoints, Boundary provides just-in-time credentials and session recording.
On the Kubernetes side, configure an Ingress resource that routes traffic to your internal service. This Ingress does not need to be public; it can be privately routable inside your cluster network. Boundary workers then connect to that internal Ingress endpoint. The worker forwards encrypted traffic between the authenticated client and the Kubernetes service over mutual TLS.
Using Boundary with Kubernetes Ingress cuts the attack surface. You don’t publish services directly to the internet. You don’t manage IP allowlists or long-lived kubeconfig files for each engineer. Instead, the Boundary controller enforces role-based access mapped to your identity provider. Ingress handles routing to the right service and port inside the cluster.