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F5 BIG-IP Container Ingress Services
What it is
F5 BIG-IP Container Ingress Services (CIS) connects Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift environments with F5 BIG-IP, updating BIG-IP configuration as container applications change. It watches Kubernetes resources, while teams manage BIG-IP through Kubernetes or OpenShift command-line tools and APIs. CIS can forward traffic through NodePort or ClusterIP and supports F5 AS3 declarations. Its traffic management capabilities include HTTP and URI routing, load balancing, scaling, health monitoring, and Blue/Green or A/B handling of application versions. F5 documents support for Kubernetes Ingress resources and OpenShift Routes, plus IngressLink coordination with NGINX Ingress Controller. CIS is a control-plane component; F5 says traffic is not affected by a CIS outage and a replacement replica can collect cluster state and reapply it to BIG-IP. F5 documents Helm-based and manual installation, with releases available through Docker Hub and Red Hat Container Registry. The software is open source and has no charge, but requires a compatible licensed BIG-IP system, a Kubernetes or OpenShift cluster, and AS3 installed on BIG-IP.
For and against
For
- HTTP and URI routing, load balancing, and health monitoring
- Supports Kubernetes Ingress and OpenShift Routes
- Offers Blue/Green and A/B traffic management
- Helm-based and manual installation options
- No charge for the open-source software
Against
- Requires a compatible, licensed BIG-IP system
- Requires Kubernetes or OpenShift and AS3 on BIG-IP
- NodePortLocal is limited to Antrea CNI
The verdict
CIS coordinates container orchestration resources with BIG-IP for traffic management. The software is free, but depends on a compatible BIG-IP system, a cluster, and AS3.
Who it suits
F5 identifies network architects, network operations, AppDev, DevOps, and system infrastructure teams as intended users. It is relevant to teams managing Kubernetes or OpenShift traffic through BIG-IP.
Plans and prices
Open-source software
Requires a compatible, licensed BIG-IP system · Kubernetes or OpenShift cluster · AS3 installed on BIG-IP
Read 4 Oct 2026 · f5.com
On the record
- Compatibility
- The current compatibility table lists tested Kubernetes versions v1.13–v1.35, OpenShift v3.11–v4.21.0, BIG-IP v12–v17, and AS3 v3.13–v3.56; unlisted versions are not verified by F5.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Credential privilege
- CIS requires administrative privileges on the BIG-IP iControl REST partition to configure objects, and its Kubernetes guide recommends a dedicated partition.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- How it works
- CIS watches Kubernetes resources and updates BIG-IP configuration accordingly; users manage BIG-IP through Kubernetes or OpenShift native CLI/API.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Installation and downloads
- F5 documents Helm-based and manual installation and says CIS releases are available from Docker Hub and Red Hat Container Registry.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- F5 identifies network architects, network operations, AppDev, DevOps, and system infrastructure teams as target customers.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Notable constraint
- F5 states NodePortLocal is available only with Antrea CNI and must be enabled in Antrea feature gates.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Observability
- BIG-IP data streams can export application and network statistics to third-party visibility and analytics tools, with Splunk given as an example.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Orchestration integrations
- F5 documents integrations with Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift, including Ingress resources and OpenShift Routes.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Other integrations
- F5 describes IngressLink as coordinating BIG-IP CIS with NGINX Ingress Controller, and lists overlay integrations including OpenShift SDN, Flannel, and Calico.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- CIS integrates container orchestration environments with F5 BIG-IP to dynamically create L4/L7 services and load balance traffic as container applications change.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Routing and forwarding
- CIS can forward traffic from BIG-IP to Kubernetes clusters through NodePort or ClusterIP and supports F5 AS3 declarations.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- F5 documents securing CIS BIG-IP credentials by storing them in HashiCorp Vault and synchronizing them to a Kubernetes Secret with External Secrets Operator.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support boundary
- CIS is a control-plane component; the FAQ says traffic is not impacted during a CIS outage and that a replacement replica gathers cluster state and reapplies it to BIG-IP.clouddocs.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Traffic management
- CIS supports HTTP and URI routing, load balancing, scaling, health monitoring, and Blue/Green and A/B traffic management for app versions.f5.com · read 4 Oct 2026
