Kubernetes Gateway API (2025): Hands-On with NGINX Gateway Fabric

📌 Kubernetes Gateway API (2025): Hands-On with NGINX Gateway Fabric In this comprehensive, hands-on project, we move beyond classic Ingress and master the Kubernetes Gateway API with a full demo using NGINX Gateway Fabric (NGF) on a local KIND cluster. We recap Ingress, cover the Gateway API resource model (GatewayClass, Gateway, Routes), walk the end-to-end flow (controller → GatewayClass → Gateway → HTTPRoute), and route traffic to multiple backends with clean, declarative configs. Note: This lecture was originally part of my CKA series (Day 52 theory + Day 53 demo) and is published here as a standalone project so the wider community—whether you’re exam-prepping, upskilling, or building real infra—can benefit directly. 📂 GitHub Repository Combined manifests and step-by-step notes are available here: 🔗 https://github.com/CloudWithVarJosh/Y... ▶️ Watch the Full CKA 2025 Playlist    • CKA Certification Course 2025   Kubernetes Projects:    • DevOps Projects   Join the Channel to show your support:    / @cloudwithvarjosh   📘 What You’ll Learn By the end of this lecture, you’ll understand: What we already know about Ingress and where it fits Ingress limitations that teams hit in real clusters What the Gateway API is and why it exists The v1 kinds: GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute The flow: Controller → GatewayClass → Gateway → HTTPRoute (cloud vs on-prem patterns) Installing Gateway API CRDs and NGINX Gateway Fabric via Helm on KIND (NodePort exposure) Defining a Gateway and HTTPRoutes to multiple backends (clean, declarative routing) Verifying end-to-end connectivity and inspecting proxy pod logs (debug basics) Next steps: TLS, header-based routing, and weighted splits; lifting the same manifests to EKS/GKE/AKS ⏰ Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:31 Pre-Requisites for Gateway API 00:06:49 Ingress: Quick Recap 00:12:37 Ingress: Limitations 00:21:12 Meet the Gateway API 00:24:38 v1 Kinds: GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute 00:38:56 Flow: Controller → GatewayClass → Gateway → HTTPRoute (Cloud vs On-Prem) 00:51:55 Demo Overview: Gateway API + NGINX Gateway Fabric 00:52:43 What We’re Deploying (Scope & Setup) 00:58:38 Step 1: Configure KIND Cluster 01:00:56 Step 2: Install Gateway API CRDs 01:03:50 Step 3: Install NGINX Gateway Fabric 01:09:36 Step 4: Deploy Sample Apps (iPhone / Android / Desktop) 01:13:26 Dev Note: App Design & Readiness 01:16:07 Step 5: Create the Gateway 01:22:34 Step 6: Define HTTPRoutes 01:26:48 Step 7: Verify Connectivity & Inspect Proxy Logs 01:29:04 Outro 🔗 Stay Connected 👉 LinkedIn:   / varun-joshi-2b516752   👉 GitHub: https://github.com/CloudWithVarJosh 💬 Got questions? Drop them in the comments — I reply to every single one. 👍 Like, share, and subscribe to support the channel. 🔖 Hashtags #Kubernetes #GatewayAPI #KubernetesGatewayAPI #NGINX #NGINXGatewayFabric #CKA #CKA2025 #CloudWithVarJosh #KubernetesNetworking #K8sHandsOn #KubernetesForAdmins #HTTPRoute #GRPCRoute #KIND #EKS #GKE #AKS #TrafficManagement #ServiceNetworking #DevOps