Skip to main content

Complete Guide to Setting Up Ambassador for Your Business

A Chance Encounter​

Once upon a time, in the bustling corridors of a tech conference that could be described as both exhilarating and overwhelming (picture an ant colony on caffeine), my good friend Jake and I found ourselves amidst a lively debate. The topic? Setting up Ambassador as a reliable gateway for businesses - a thing neither of us was particularly familiar with, but both gentlemen were determined to master. Unbeknownst to us, that fortuitous conversation sparked the journey you'll read about today.

In this narrative, interspersed with the warmth of camaraderie, we’ll walk you through each step of setting up Ambassador, sharing wins and stumbles along the way. It’s designed for the curious soul who believes learning, like storytelling, is a shared venture. Grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if you're on the other side of that particular debate) and join us.

Step 1: Understanding the Charm of Ambassador ($ or £)​

Now, before we delve into technicalities, let’s be sure everyone at the table understands what Ambassador is. Much like a charming conversationalist who can sway groups with a grin - Ambassador reinvents service management. It is an open-source, Kubernetes-native API Gateway for microservices. It manages internal and external traffic and can be the conductor of your data orchestra.

Back at that conference, Jake and I were novices in these matters. Fast forward a few weeks, and there we were, setting up our first microservices architecture - a daunting task, akin to setting the first domino in a very elaborate series. We realized that without a fun-loving guide like Ambassador, we were simply sheep in a techie wolves’ den. So, how do you get started?

Step 2: Setting the Stage​

Jake taught me this part. Picture walking into your kitchen and knowing where every spice is. Prepping for the meal is a breeze, and the same goes for setting up Ambassador.

Requirements:​

  1. Kubernetes Cluster: If you don’t have one, Minikube or cloud providers like GKE or EKS will do the job.
  2. kubectl: The control you need, like a chef knowing their knives.
  3. Ambassador Edge Stack or Emissary-ingress: Think of these as your maestro’s baton.

With these ready, we can commence - but not before ensuring we have our proverbial apron on: gaining a good understanding—from required tools to accessing APIs—is fundamental.

# Install Emissary Ingress Helm chart
helm repo add datawire https://app.getambassador.io
helm install emissary-ingress datawire/emissary-ingress

Pro-tip:​

Double-check compatibility. Jake learned this the hard way when his Kubernetes version played a different tune, sending him back to the drawing board.

Step 3: Installation Dance​

Installing Ambassador isn’t unlike trying a new dance - awkward at first but, over time, fluid. Fortunately, this dance comes with instructions:

  1. Register Ambassador: Begin by installing it via the Helm chart as we smoothly demonstrated earlier.
  2. Configure the service: Just like finding the right rhythm, configure your Kubernetes services and mappings to allow traffic through. It's about setting up the perfect waltz between nodes and services.
---
apiVersion: getambassador.io/v2
kind: Mapping
metadata:
  name: example-service
spec:
  prefix: /
  service: example-service

Jake chuckles when things go wrong, and truly, it isn’t even that bad when settings like a typo cause a hiccup - it’s a story to tell. Be meticulous, though, because detail leaks can disrupt this happily skipping rhythm.

Step 4: Harnessing the Magic – Configuration​

Here, in the heart of the setup, comes the decisive moment when you decide features such as rate limiting, authentication, and service resilience.

Believe it or not, configuring Ambassador is our joy-filled canvas - where we channel our inner artist:

  • Rate Limiting: Controlling traffic like an enthusiastic usher.
  • Auth: Securing the entrances and exits with bouncers.
  • Automatic Retries: Because life and packets deserve second chances.
apiVersion: getambassador.io/v2
kind: RateLimitService
metadata:
  name: ratelimit
spec:
  service: ratelimit
  timeout_ms: 500

Remember, with complexity comes the allure of creativity. Jake found this the most satisfying part - perhaps because he soon discovered that personalization isn't just allowed; it's encouraged!

Step 5: Testing – the Inevitable Reality Check​

As the cherry blossoms fell softly upon our laptops (or perhaps that’s a romantic metaphor for error logs), we embarked on testing. Indeed, this step cocoons potential doubts in a well-crafted net and hunts them down.

Using curl or postman, test each API call to confirm navigation through Ambassador’s pathways. It's like sending our little data caravans on a journey through guided passages - a trial run, to reveal any temperamental roadblocks.

curl -Lk https://<AMBASSADOR-URL>/sample-endpoint

Aprons off, Jake and I realized, with a touch of bittersweet pride, that tests reveal both the architects’ delicacy and folly. The bright side? We learned from each hiccup, adjusting Ambassador's settings until error logs seemed satisfactory ghostly quiet.

Conclusion: A Path Illuminated​

Let’s pause on this penultimate note and reflect. Whatever tale you take from our adventures, let it be one of shared purpose, small frustrations, and triumphs, measuring progress not solely in outcomes but in understanding.

Together, we walked through the nuanced corridors of setting up Ambassador for our business—not as mere colleagues, but as co-pilots on this grand expedition. We mastered it, yes, in our own slightly haphazard style, and we invite you to do so too, with your unique flair for creation and resolution.

In a world fraught with technological whirlwinds, Ambassador stands as a testament to innovation—a reminder that ecosystems, like communities, thrive on communication and thoughtful orchestration. Embrace the process, knowing every step forward is a chord in your ever-evolving symphony.