Overview In the previous post, we installed the Traefik ingress controller and configured secure access to management interfaces by separating internal and external services. This post covers how to configure DDNS and port forwarding to enable external internet access to services running in the homelab Kubernetes cluster. Network Architecture Summary First, let’s briefly summarize the network architecture configured in the previous post: Internal Load Balancer (192.168.0.200): Exposes only management interfaces like ArgoCD, Longhorn, and Traefik dashboard, accessible only from within the internal network. External Load Balancer (192.168.0.201): Exposes only public services like blogs and personal projects, accessible from the external internet through router port forwarding. ...

Overview In the previous post, we installed the Longhorn distributed storage system to build a persistent storage environment where data is retained even when pods restart or move to different nodes. This post covers installing the Traefik ingress controller on a homelab Kubernetes cluster and configuring secure access to management interfaces from the internal network. Choosing an Ingress Controller There are several methods for exposing Kubernetes services externally in a homelab environment: ...

Overview In the previous post, we set up a GitOps environment by installing ArgoCD. This post covers how to install and configure the Longhorn distributed storage system in a homelab Kubernetes cluster, sharing experiences from evaluating various storage solutions and explaining why persistent storage is necessary. Storage Challenges in a Homelab Environment One of the biggest challenges when building a homelab Kubernetes cluster was configuring storage. Most practical applications such as databases, monitoring tools, and backup systems require persistent storage that maintains data even when pods restart or move to different nodes. ...

Overview In the previous post, we set up a homelab Kubernetes cluster using Dell OptiPlex Micro machines and completed the basic configuration. This post covers installing ArgoCD, a GitOps tool for declaratively managing all cluster components from a Git repository, and applying the App of Apps pattern to build a scalable infrastructure management system. Understanding GitOps What is GitOps? GitOps is an operational model first proposed by Alexis Richardson of Weaveworks in 2017. It uses a Git repository as the Single Source of Truth for infrastructure and application configurations. All infrastructure changes are tracked through Git commits, reviewed via Pull Requests, and reflected in the actual environment through automated processes, enabling infrastructure to be managed like code. ...

Overview This series covers the process of building a Kubernetes cluster in a homelab environment and configuring a complete CI/CD pipeline for side projects and testing purposes. It demonstrates how to set up an environment where you can experiment with and learn various cloud-native technologies such as container orchestration, networking, storage, monitoring, and GitOps by running Kubernetes at home without the burden of cloud service costs. The hardware setup consists of five Dell OptiPlex Micro units as nodes with TP-Link router and switch for networking. The Dell OptiPlex Micro is a mini PC with low power consumption that can be purchased affordably on the used market. The purchased models are equipped with 9th generation i5 CPUs, 16GB of memory, and 256GB SSDs, providing sufficient specifications to handle Kubernetes workloads. ...

What is NDP NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol) is a core protocol for IPv6 networks officially standardized in 2007 through the IETF’s RFC 4861 document. It integrates the functions of several IPv4 protocols such as ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), ICMP Router Discovery, and ICMP Redirect into one, enabling more efficient and secure network management. Operating on the basis of ICMPv6 (Internet Control Message Protocol version 6), it performs various functions including neighbor node discovery, router discovery, automatic address configuration, duplicate address detection, and path optimization. ...

Wine Concept and How It Works Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) is a compatibility layer that enables Windows programs to run on UNIX-compatible operating systems such as Linux, macOS, and BSD, including Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. It is an open-source project started by Bob Amstadt and Eric Youngdale in 1993, with over 30 years of development history. The name Wine is a recursive acronym meaning “Wine Is Not an Emulator,” chosen to emphasize that Wine is not a simple emulator. ...

What is ARP ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a network protocol officially standardized in 1982 through the IETF’s RFC 826 document. In TCP/IP network environments, it dynamically discovers the MAC address (physical address) corresponding to a given IP address as an address translation protocol. It operates at the boundary between Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) and Layer 3 (Network Layer) of the OSI 7-layer model, performing the core role of mapping logical addresses (IP) to physical addresses (MAC). ...

Overview When accessing websites on the internet, we use domain names instead of IP addresses. DNS (Domain Name System) is the system that translates these domain names into actual server IP addresses. Often compared to the internet’s phone book, DNS was designed by Paul Mockapetris in 1983 and has since become a core internet infrastructure. It processes billions of DNS queries daily, enabling users to access web services using intuitive domain names like www.example.com without memorizing complex IP addresses like 192.168.0.1 or 2001:4860:4860::8888. ...

Overview Network communication involves complex processes, and understanding these processes systematically requires a standardized reference model. The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) 7-layer model is a network communication standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1984. It divides communication between different systems into seven layers, defining how each layer operates independently while cooperating with others to transmit data. This model serves as a fundamental conceptual framework for network engineers and software developers to understand complex communication processes and diagnose problems. ...