MetalLB Documentation

MetalLB is a load-balancer implementation for bare metal Kubernetes clusters. This documentation covers installation, configuration, and management of MetalLB in your Kubernetes environment.

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Configuration
• Layer 2 Mode
• BGP Mode
• IP Address Pools
• Service Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Security Considerations

Overview

MetalLB provides a network load-balancer implementation for Kubernetes clusters that don't run on a cloud provider, and thus cannot simply use LoadBalancer services.

Key Features

• Bare Metal Support: Works on bare metal Kubernetes clusters
• Multiple Modes: Layer 2 and BGP support
• IP Address Management: Automatic IP assignment from pools
• Service Integration: Works with standard Kubernetes services
• High Availability: Support for multiple load balancer nodes

Architecture

MetalLB consists of two components:

• Speaker: Runs on each node and handles the actual load balancing
• ** Controller**: Runs as a single instance and manages IP address assignments

Quick Start

1. Install MetalLB
2. Configure IP address pools
3. Create a LoadBalancer service

Prerequisites

• Kubernetes cluster (v1.13.0+)
• Cluster with no existing load balancer provider
• For BGP mode: BGP-capable router
• For Layer 2 mode: Network connectivity between nodes