August 2023 Summaries

Ngrok has introduced Cloud Edges to its free tier, allowing users to enhance their endpoints with features such as authentication, compression, and webhook verification without any downtime. This addition facilitates centralized management and sharing of module configurations, as well as the ability to load balance traffic by connecting multiple agents to an Edge. Cloud Edges also support the Kubernetes Ingress Controller, enabling consistent security policies like single sign-on using Open ID Connect or SAML. With Cloud Edges, configurations can be dynamically updated via the dashboard or API without restarting the ngrok agent, and static domains have been launched for free users to deliver production apps and APIs. Developers can integrate Cloud Edges into their applications using ngrok SDKs for Go or Rust, which allows for automatic updates and management of edge configurations. This enhancement aims to empower developers with new capabilities and provide IT and SecOps teams with the necessary control for user management at scale.

Ngrok has updated its service offerings by introducing free dev domains to address user complaints regarding changing URLs with each agent restart. Every ngrok account now includes a free dev domain based on the ngrok-free.dev base, which remains assigned to the user as long as their account is active. This change simplifies the development and testing lifecycle by offering a consistent domain for applications and APIs, without incurring additional endpoint hour charges. Users have the option to upgrade to paid plans for custom or branded domains, with the Hobbyist plan allowing custom ngrok domains and the pay-as-you-go plan enabling users to bring their own domains. Ngrok's goal is to provide developers with an infrastructure that simplifies the process of putting APIs and apps online. The dev domains facilitate easier application deployment, with various integration options such as cloud endpoints, the ngrok agent SDK, and Kubernetes clusters, while maintaining usage limits on free plans for HTTP requests, bandwidth, and concurrent endpoints.

Utilizing ngrok to manage ingress for a HashiCorp Consul service mesh in Kubernetes simplifies the traditionally complex process of configuring multiple ingress controllers for tasks such as load balancing and authentication. The blog post illustrates how ngrok's single-controller approach can streamline getting a service-oriented architecture online, as exemplified by a hypothetical coffee shop's online ordering application. While ngrok is a convenient tool during development, offering temporary online access for testing, transitioning to production demands a more permanent solution. The ngrok Kubernetes Operator emerges as a viable option, providing secure connectivity, load balancing, and authentication by integrating with the Consul service mesh through Helm charts. By annotating pods and setting up ingress rules, users can establish a persistent connection to ngrok’s Cloud Edge platform, facilitating seamless deployment across various environments without altering network settings. This approach underscores the benefits of combining ngrok with Consul for efficient ingress management in Kubernetes.