Until recently, Kubernetes did not have the native support for load balancing for the bare metal clusters. [MetalLB](https://github.com/google/metallb) is the new solution, currently in alpha version, aiming to close that gap.

![](https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/1*rXXwrhpGmnZK7p65vK15cg.jpeg)

As of now, Kubernetes comes with Network LB solution, which is actually a glue code calling for various IaaS cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.). However, deploying Kubernetes on anything but the supported platforms (like a private cloud or a bare metal cluster) resulted in service objects with

spec.type=LoadBalancer

to remain in Pending status forever.

Thus said, going for bare metal clusters left Kubernetes administrators with the choice between Nodeport and ExternalIPs, none of which was a perfect solution. MetalLB, a new load balancer offers a Network LB implementation that works on top of standard network equipment.

### MetalLB prerequisites and requirements

The prerequisites for MetalLB stable operation include:

*   A clean [Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/) cluster version 1.8.0 or above, without any other load balancing solution installed
*   One or several [BGP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Gateway_Protocol) routers working with 4-byte AS numbers ([RFC 6793](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6793))
*   A bundle of IPv4 addresses for the routers to assign

Here are more details of the [requirements](https://metallb.universe.tf/installation/#requirements). As MetalLB project will surely evolve, please refer to the [maturity page](https://metallb.universe.tf/maturity/) for explanations.

You can test the self-contained minikube MetalLB functionality by following this [tutorial](https://metallb.universe.tf/tutorial/). To deploy this tool to a production cluster, please head to the [installation](https://metallb.universe.tf/installation/) and [usage](https://metallb.universe.tf/usage/) guides. This detailed [design document](https://metallb.universe.tf/design/) will help you get the tool up and running in no time.

In case you wish to take part in the project evolution — please follow this [hacking guide](https://metallb.universe.tf/hacking/) for technical info. Any [usage feedback and suggestions](https://github.com/google/metallb/issues/5) will make the MetalLB developers very happy, so feel free to share your thoughts and ideas!

Previously I’ve posted this article in my company’s blog: [https://itsvit.com/blog/metallb-load-balancer-bare-metal-kubernetes-clusters/](https://itsvit.com/blog/metallb-load-balancer-bare-metal-kubernetes-clusters/)

Glue

Google

Too Long; Didn't Read

Cassandra Forward a free Cassandra-focused community event

MetalLB: a load balancer for bare metal Kubernetes clusters

Too Long; Didn't Read

Companies Mentioned

@FedakV

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