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CertManager

CertManager is an open source tool designed to assist in the automatic management of TLS certificates in Kubernetes-based environments. Here are some key aspects:

Main Functions​

  1. ** TLS Certificate Automation:**

    • Cert-manager automates the request, issuance, renewal and management of TLS (SSL) certificates through supported Certificate Authority (CA) services, such as Let's Encrypt.

  2. Native Kubernetes integration:

    • It is specifically designed to work in Kubernetes environments, leveraging its APIs and resources, such as Custom Resource Definitions (CRD), to manage and configure certificates.

  3. ** Certificate Life Cycle Management:**

    • Provides complete certificate lifecycle management, including automatic renewal before expiration and updating of resources using certificates.

Main Components:​

  1. Issuers and ClusterIssuers:

    • These are Kubernetes resources that enable the configuration and management of certificate requests. Issuers is used for specific namespaces, while ClusterIssuers is global for the entire cluster.

  2. Certificate:

    • Represents a certificate requested and issued, linked to an Issuer or ClusterIssuer. Contains the certificate information and its issuance status.

  3. ACME (Automated Certificate Management Environment):

    • It is a standard protocol used by Cert-manager for the automatic issuance of certificates, compatible with services such as Let's Encrypt.

Advantages and Use Cases​

  1. Simplified Automation:

    • Simplifies and automates TLS certificate management, eliminating the need for manual processes to request and renew certificates.

  2. Centralized Management:

    • Provides centralized certificate management for applications deployed on Kubernetes, facilitating administration in complex, distributed environments.

  3. Reinforced Security:

    • Improves security by ensuring that certificates are always up to date and automatically renewed, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities due to expired certificates.

  4. Adaptability and Scalability:

    • It scales well in Kubernetes environments, making it highly scalable and suitable for growing applications that require large-scale certificate management.

Implementation and Configuration​

Cert-manager is typically installed via YAML manifests on the Kubernetes cluster and requires specific configuration for Issuers/ClusterIssuers in order to interact with CA services such as Let's Encrypt.

Its integration may vary depending on infrastructure and environment-specific security requirements, but in general, it is a valuable tool for simplifying and automating TLS certificate management in Kubernetes.