SSL Verification Failing with “FailedNotVisible” on GKE Ingress: A Step-by-Step Guide to Resolution

Are you tired of encountering the frustrating “FailedNotVisible” error when setting up SSL verification on your Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) Ingress? You’re not alone! This article is designed to walk you through the process of resolving this issue, ensuring a seamless and secure connection to your Kubernetes cluster.

What is SSL Verification and Why is it Important?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) verification is the process of authenticating the identity of a website or server, ensuring that data transmitted between the client and server remains encrypted and secure. In the context of GKE Ingress, SSL verification is crucial for establishing trust between your cluster and external clients. Without proper verification, your cluster may be vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, data breaches, and other security risks.

The “FailedNotVisible” Error: What’s Causing the Issue?

The “FailedNotVisible” error typically occurs when the SSL verification process is unable to reach or verify the domain ownership of your website or server. This can be due to a range of reasons, including:

• Incorrectly configured DNS records
• Firewall or network restrictions blocking the verification request
• Invalid or expired SSL certificates
• Misconfigured Ingress resource or annotations

Step 1: Verify DNS Records and Domain Ownership

The first step in resolving the “FailedNotVisible” error is to ensure that your DNS records are correctly configured and pointing to the correct IP address. Follow these steps:

1. Check your DNS provider (e.g., Cloud DNS, Route 53, or another registrar) to ensure that the correct A or CNAME records are configured for your domain.
2. Verify that the records are pointing to the correct IP address of your GKE cluster’s load balancer.
3. Use tools like dig or nslookup to test the DNS records and ensure they are resolving correctly.

$ dig yourdomain.com

; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> yourdomain.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 45565
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; ANSWER SECTION:
yourdomain.com.       300 IN  A   35.185.123.456

;; Query time: 25 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Tue Mar 16 14:30:15 UTC 2023
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 55

Step 2: Check Firewall and Network Configurations

Firewall or network restrictions can block the SSL verification request, resulting in the "FailedNotVisible" error. To resolve this:

1. Check your GKE cluster's firewall rules to ensure that incoming traffic on port 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) is allowed.
2. Verify that your network policies and ingress rules are correctly configured to allow traffic to reach your cluster.
3. Test your firewall and network configurations using tools like nmap or telnet.

$ nmap -p 80,443 yourdomain.com

Starting Nmap 7.80 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2023-03-16 14:35 UTC
Nmap scan report for yourdomain.com (35.185.123.456)
Host is up (0.00025s latency).

PORT      STATE SERVICE
80/tcp    open  http
443/tcp   open  https

Step 3: Verify SSL Certificates and Configure Ingress Annotations

Invalid or expired SSL certificates can cause the "FailedNotVisible" error. To resolve this:

1. Verify that your SSL certificates are valid and up-to-date.
2. Check your Ingress resource annotations to ensure that they are correctly configured for SSL termination.
3. Use the kubectl command to describe your Ingress resource and verify the annotations:

$ kubectl describe ing your-ingress

Name:             your-ingress
Namespace:        default
Address:          35.185.123.456
Default backend:  default-http-backend (10.12.13.14:80)
Rules:
  Host  Path  Backends
  ----  ----  --------
  *     /   default-http-backend (10.12.13.14:80)

Annotations:
  kubernetes.io/ingress.class:  nginx
  nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/ssl-redirect:  true
  nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/backend-protocol:  HTTPS

Step 4: Update Ingress Resource and Annotations

After verifying the above steps, update your Ingress resource and annotations to ensure correct SSL verification:

apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: your-ingress
  annotations:
    kubernetes.io/ingress.class: nginx
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/ssl-redirect: "true"
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/backend-protocol: HTTPS
spec:
  rules:
  - host: yourdomain.com
    http:
      paths:
      - path: /
        backend:
          serviceName: default-http-backend
          servicePort: 80
  tls:
  - hosts:
    - yourdomain.com
    secretName: your-ssl-certificate

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the "FailedNotVisible" error and successfully set up SSL verification on your GKE Ingress. Remember to double-check your DNS records, firewall and network configurations, SSL certificates, and Ingress resource annotations to ensure a secure and trusted connection to your Kubernetes cluster.

Step	Description
1	Verify DNS records and domain ownership
2	Check firewall and network configurations
3	Verify SSL certificates and configure Ingress annotations
4	Update Ingress resource and annotations

Don't let the "FailedNotVisible" error hold you back from securing your GKE Ingress. Follow these steps, and you'll be well on your way to ensuring a trusted and encrypted connection to your Kubernetes cluster.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a qualified expert or the official documentation for specific guidance on configuring SSL verification on GKE Ingress.

Frequently Asked Question

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