What's New in API7 Enterprise 3.2.13: Ingress Controller Gateway Groups
Published: 2024-06-18 08:52:57

Cloud-native architecture has become a core driver of enterprise digital transformation due to its scalability, flexibility, and efficiency. Kubernetes has emerged as the cornerstone for many enterprises to build and run modern applications, thanks to its excellent container orchestration capabilities.

As application scale expands and microservices architecture becomes more common, efficiently and securely managing gateways to ensure smooth services has become a significant challenge for many businesses. To address this demand, [API7 Enterprise](https://api7.ai/enterprise) has recently introduced the gateway group management feature for ingress controllers in the 3.2.13 version. We will delve into the specific content and value of this update to help you better understand and apply this new functionality.

## How to use the Ingress Controller Gateway Group?

If you need to create an ingress controller gateway group, simply follow these steps.

### 1. Add Gateway Group

- Log in to the API7 Enterprise dashboard and click on the "Gateway Groups" menu item in the left navigation bar.

- In the gateway group management menu, click the "Add Gateway Group" button at the bottom.

<div align="center">
<img alt="Add Gateway Groups" style="width: 60%" src="https://static.apiseven.com/uploads/2024/06/17/94aWLlyz_gateway-groups-en-1.png"></img>
</div>

### 2. Fill in the Gateway Group Information

- In the pop-up window, select "Ingress Controller" as the gateway group type and fill in the necessary configuration information. Note that the gateway group type cannot be modified after the group is created, so ensure that you select the correct gateway group type.

<div align="center">
<img alt="Add Gateway Groups for Ingress Controller" style="width: 60%" src="https://static.apiseven.com/uploads/2024/06/17/DNxH7zNt_gateway-groups-en-2.png"></img>
</div>

### 3. Obtain Script for Deployment

- After creating the new gateway group, the system will automatically generate a deployment script containing a token. Click the button to copy the script, and you can deploy it in your Kubernetes environment.

- If the token is lost or you want to update the token, you can regenerate the script anytime within the gateway group.

<div align="center">
<img alt="Copy Generated Script" style="width: 60%" src="https://static.apiseven.com/uploads/2024/06/17/8gXZvvz1_gateway-groups-en-3.png"></img>
</div>

### 4. Manage Gateway Groups Using Kubernetes

- In Kubernetes, you can operate and manage ingress controller gateway group resources through Custom Resource Definition (CRD).

- To maintain consistency in management, we have disabled operational buttons in the dashboard. Please perform all operations through the Kubernetes API.

<div align="center">
<img alt="Read-only Resources in Ingress Controller Gateway Groups" style="width: 60%" src="https://static.apiseven.com/uploads/2024/06/17/1GxGsajW_gateway-groups-en-4.png"></img>
</div>

### 5. Default Publication and Version Control

- Services within the ingress controller gateway groups are automatically in the published state by default, requiring no additional operations.
Yilialinn marked this conversation as resolved.

- The version information of ingress controller gateway groups will not be displayed in the service hub, reducing the complexity of version management in conjunction with regular gateway groups.

## Conclusion

The gateway group management feature of ingress controller introduced in [API7 Enterprise](https://api7.ai/enterprise) v3.2.13 helps users efficiently manage gateway resources in Kubernetes environments, enhancing the overall operational efficiency of cloud-native architecture.

Welcome to experience this new functionality and look forward to your valuable feedback and suggestions during usage.