Cilium Gateway API for Kubernetes Explained
Source: YouTube · That DevOps Guy · published Jul 8, 2026 · 29:31
This video demonstrates how to configure Cilium as a Kubernetes Gateway API implementation, highlighting its unique eBPF-based architecture that handles traffic at the kernel level rather than through dedicated gateway pods 0:56-1:17.
Key Takeaways:
• Cilium is fundamentally different from other Gateway API solutions because it is a full CNI plugin; you must disable the default cluster network interface before installing it 1:10-1:25.
• Powered by eBPF, Cilium runs directly in the Linux kernel space, providing networking, security, and observability without user-space overhead 4:50-5:22.
• Unlike traditional gateways that deploy dedicated data plane pods, Cilium intercepts traffic via eBPF at the Kubernetes Service level, requiring a NodePort service instead of a standard LoadBalancer 18:53-19:32.
• The video covers essential traffic management features including hostname-based routing, path prefix matching, and URL rewriting to act as a true API gateway 24:08-26:13.
• Enabling TLS requires attaching HTTPRoutes to the specific HTTPS listener using the sectionName field and pointing the gateway to a TLS secret 28:03-28:39.
While Cilium aims to replace multiple tools with a single solution for networking, service mesh, and observability, its low-level nature makes it more complex to configure than plug-and-play alternatives 7:18-8:08.
Sources:
- 0:56-1:17 Cilium's unique role as a CNI plugin requiring special cluster setup
- 4:50-5:22 Explanation of eBPF technology and kernel-space execution
- 18:53-19:32 Cilium's lack of dedicated gateway pods and NodePort requirement
- 24:08-26:13 URL rewrite and path-based routing configuration
- 28:03-28:39 Configuring TLS by attaching routes to the HTTPS listener
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First 800 characters of the transcript
[music] >> Welcome to another video of the Kubernetes Gateway API series. If you're new to Kubernetes Gateway API, this video may not be for you, and you need to watch this video, which is the introduction to Gateway API. In that video, we cover what it is, how it works, how to install it, get it up and running, and take it for a spin, and some example traffic management features. In this video, we take that Gateway enabled cluster, and we focus on a specific Gateway called Cilium. This series is aimed to help you understand the purpose of the different Kubernetes Gateway APIs, their pros and cons, so you can pick the right one for you. Now, Cilium is very different to the other Gateway APIs that we've seen so far in the series. Now, if you like the series, be sure to smash that like butto…