Gateway Load Balancer Reverse Proxy for Secure External Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container orchestration systems face challenges in securely exposing services in an internal network to external clients while maintaining network security, particularly in private cloud environments.
Innovation Solution
A load balancer service is automatically deployed at a gateway computing cluster, using a reverse proxy to forward requests from external clients to internal services, while keeping the internal network secure by using a reverse proxy configured to forward requests from external networks to internal IP addresses and ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If services in internal network are exposed to external clients directly, then external access is enabled, but network security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A load balancer service is deployed at the gateway computing cluster to act as an intermediary between external clients and internal services. The load balancer receives external requests and forwards them to internal services through controlled channels, enabling external access while maintaining network security boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments network access by creating distinct network zones (internal network and external network) separated by a gateway. The load balancer operates at the gateway boundary, allowing selective exposure of specific services while keeping the rest of the internal network isolated and secure.
2Reliability
If load balancer service is deployed at gateway computing cluster, then external access to internal services is enabled while maintaining security, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load balancer service performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a reverse proxy for request forwarding, a traffic distributor for load balancing, and a security gateway for network protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The load balancer service automatically discovers and registers internal services through service discovery mechanisms, dynamically updating its routing configuration without manual intervention. This self-configuration capability reduces operational complexity despite the added architectural layer.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example implementation consistent with the features disclosed herein, a tenant service in an internal network is made accessible to clients in an external network through a load balancer service. A request is transmitted by a tenant computing cluster in response to discovering creation of the tenant service at the tenant computing cluster. The request is received by a gateway computing cluster. The load balancer service is deployed at the gateway computing cluster in response to receiving the request. An external IP address for the external network is assigned to the load balancer service. The load balancer service is configured to forward client requests received at the external IP address to the tenant service. The external IP address is then sent to the tenant computing cluster.