--- title: Use Port Forwarding to Access Applications in a Cluster content_template: templates/task weight: 40 --- {{% capture overview %}} This page shows how to use `kubectl port-forward` to connect to a Redis server running in a Kubernetes cluster. This type of connection can be useful for database debugging. {{% /capture %}} {{% capture prerequisites %}} * {{< include "task-tutorial-prereqs.md" >}} {{< version-check >}} * Install [redis-cli](http://redis.io/topics/rediscli). {{% /capture %}} {{% capture steps %}} ## Creating Redis deployment and service 1. Create a Redis deployment: kubectl create -f https://k8s.io/docs/tutorials/stateless-application/guestbook/redis-master-deployment.yaml The output of a successful command verifies that the deployment was created: deployment "redis-master" created When the pod is ready, you can get: kubectl get pods NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE redis-master-765d459796-258hz 1/1 Running 0 50s kubectl get deployment NAME DESIRED CURRENT UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE AGE redis-master 1 1 1 1 55s kubectl get rs NAME DESIRED CURRENT READY AGE redis-master-765d459796 1 1 1 1m 2. Create a Redis service: kubectl create -f https://k8s.io/docs/tutorials/stateless-application/guestbook/redis-master-service.yaml The output of a successful command verifies that the service was created: service "redis-master" created Check the service created: kubectl get svc | grep redis NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE redis-master ClusterIP 10.0.0.213 6379/TCP 27s 3. Verify that the Redis server is running in the pod and listening on port 6379: kubectl get pods redis-master-765d459796-258hz --template='{{(index (index .spec.containers 0).ports 0).containerPort}}{{"\n"}}' The output displays the port: 6379 ## Forward a local port to a port on the pod 1. `kubectl port-forward` allows using resource name, such as a service name, to select a matching pod to port forward to since Kubernetes v1.10. kubectl port-forward redis-master-765d459796-258hz 6379:6379 which is the same as kubectl port-forward pods/redis-master-765d459796-258hz 6379:6379 or kubectl port-forward deployment/redis-master 6379:6379 or kubectl port-forward rs/redis-master 6379:6379 or kubectl port-forward svc/redis-master 6379:6379 Any of the above commands works. The output is similar to this: I0710 14:43:38.274550 3655 portforward.go:225] Forwarding from 127.0.0.1:6379 -> 6379 I0710 14:43:38.274797 3655 portforward.go:225] Forwarding from [::1]:6379 -> 6379 2. Start the Redis command line interface: redis-cli 3. At the Redis command line prompt, enter the `ping` command: 127.0.0.1:6379>ping A successful ping request returns PONG. {{% /capture %}} {{% capture discussion %}} ## Discussion Connections made to local port 6379 are forwarded to port 6379 of the pod that is running the Redis server. With this connection in place you can use your local workstation to debug the database that is running in the pod. {{< warning >}} **Warning**: Due to known limitations, port forward today only works for TCP protocol. The support to UDP protocol is being tracked in [issue 47862](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/47862). {{< /warning >}} {{% /capture %}} {{% capture whatsnext %}} Learn more about [kubectl port-forward](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#port-forward). {{% /capture %}}