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Configuring NodeLocal DNS for the Cilium network policy controller

Written by
Updated at November 27, 2025

In this article, you will learn how to configure a local DNS for the Cilium network policy controller using the Local Redirect Policy.

To set up a local DNS in a Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster:

  1. Create specifications for NodeLocal DNS and Local Redirect Policy.
  2. Create a test environment.
  3. Check the NodeLocal DNS functionality.

Getting started

  1. Create a service account and assign to it the k8s.tunnelClusters.agent and vpc.publicAdmin roles.

  2. Create security groups for the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster and its node groups.

    Warning

    The configuration of security groups determines the performance and availability of the cluster and the services and applications running in it.

  3. Create a Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster with any suitable configuration.

    When creating it, specify the service account and security groups you prepared in advance. Under Cluster network settings, select Enable tunnel mode.

  4. Create a node group with any suitable configuration. When creating it, specify the preconfigured security groups.

  5. Install kubect and configure it to work with the new cluster.

  6. Get the kube-dns service IP address:

    kubectl get svc kube-dns -n kube-system -o jsonpath={.spec.clusterIP}

Create specifications for NodeLocal DNS and Local Redirect Policy

  1. Create a file named node-local-dns.yaml. In the node-local-dns DaemonSet settings, specify the kube-dns IP address:

    node-local-dns.yaml
    ---
apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  name: node-local-dns
  namespace: kube-system
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: kube-dns-upstream
  namespace: kube-system
  labels:
    k8s-app: kube-dns
    kubernetes.io/name: "KubeDNSUpstream"
spec:
  ports:
  - name: dns
    port: 53
    protocol: UDP
    targetPort: 53
  - name: dns-tcp
    port: 53
    protocol: TCP
    targetPort: 53
  selector:
    k8s-app: kube-dns
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: node-local-dns
  namespace: kube-system
data:
  Corefile: |
    cluster.local:53 {
      errors
      cache {
        success 9984 30
        denial 9984 5
      }
      reload
      loop
      bind 0.0.0.0
      forward . __PILLAR__CLUSTER__DNS__ {
        prefer_udp
      }
      prometheus :9253
      health
    }
    in-addr.arpa:53 {
      errors
      cache 30
      reload
      loop
      bind 0.0.0.0
      forward . __PILLAR__CLUSTER__DNS__ {
        prefer_udp
      }
      prometheus :9253
    }
    ip6.arpa:53 {
      errors
      cache 30
      reload
      loop
      bind 0.0.0.0
      forward . __PILLAR__CLUSTER__DNS__ {
        prefer_udp
      }
      prometheus :9253
    }
    .:53 {
      errors
      cache 30
      reload
      loop
      bind 0.0.0.0
      forward . __PILLAR__UPSTREAM__SERVERS__ {
        prefer_udp
      }
      prometheus :9253
    }
---
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: DaemonSet
metadata:
  name: node-local-dns
  namespace: kube-system
  labels:
    k8s-app: node-local-dns
spec:
  updateStrategy:
    rollingUpdate:
      maxUnavailable: 10%
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      k8s-app: node-local-dns
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        k8s-app: node-local-dns
      annotations:
        prometheus.io/port: "9253"
        prometheus.io/scrape: "true"
    spec:
      priorityClassName: system-node-critical
      serviceAccountName: node-local-dns
      dnsPolicy: Default # Don't use cluster DNS.
      tolerations:
      - key: "CriticalAddonsOnly"
        operator: "Exists"
      - effect: "NoExecute"
        operator: "Exists"
      - effect: "NoSchedule"
        operator: "Exists"
      containers:
      - name: node-cache
        image: registry.k8s.io/dns/k8s-dns-node-cache:1.17.0
        resources:
          requests:
            cpu: 25m
            memory: 5Mi
        args: [ "-localip", "169.254.20.10,<kube-dns_IP_address>", "-conf", "/etc/Corefile", "-upstreamsvc", "kube-dns-upstream", "-skipteardown=true", "-setupinterface=false", "-setupiptables=false" ]
        securityContext:
          privileged: true
        ports:
        - containerPort: 53
          name: dns
          protocol: UDP
        - containerPort: 53
          name: dns-tcp
          protocol: TCP
        - containerPort: 9253
          name: metrics
          protocol: TCP
        livenessProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 8080
          initialDelaySeconds: 60
          timeoutSeconds: 5
        volumeMounts:
        - mountPath: /run/xtables.lock
          name: xtables-lock
          readOnly: false
        - name: config-volume
          mountPath: /etc/coredns
        - name: kube-dns-config
          mountPath: /etc/kube-dns
      volumes:
      - name: xtables-lock
        hostPath:
          path: /run/xtables.lock
          type: FileOrCreate
      - name: kube-dns-config
        configMap:
          name: kube-dns
          optional: true
      - name: config-volume
        configMap:
          name: node-local-dns
          items:
            - key: Corefile
              path: Corefile.base

    Warning

    The application works correctly only with the kube-system namespace.

  2. Create the node-local-dns-lrp.yaml file:

    node-local-dns-lrp.yaml
    ---
apiVersion: "cilium.io/v2"
kind: CiliumLocalRedirectPolicy
metadata:
  name: "nodelocaldns"
  namespace: kube-system
spec:
  redirectFrontend:
    serviceMatcher:
      serviceName: kube-dns
      namespace: kube-system
  redirectBackend:
    localEndpointSelector:
      matchLabels:
        k8s-app: node-local-dns
    toPorts:
      - port: "53"
        name: dns
        protocol: UDP
      - port: "53"
        name: dns-tcp
        protocol: TCP

  3. Create resources for NodeLocal DNS:

    kubectl apply -f node-local-dns.yaml

    Result:

    serviceaccount/node-local-dns created
service/kube-dns-upstream created
configmap/node-local-dns created
daemonset.apps/node-local-dns created

  4. Create resources for the Local Redirect Policy:

    kubectl apply -f node-local-dns-lrp.yaml

    Result:

    ciliumlocalredirectpolicy.cilium.io/NodeLocal DNS created

Create a test environment

To test the local DNS, the nettool pod containing the dnsutils network utility suite will be launched in your Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster.

  1. Run the nettool pod:

    kubectl run nettool --image cr.yandex/yc/demo/network-multitool -- sleep infinity

  2. Make sure the pod has switched to Running:

    kubectl get pods

  3. Find out which Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster node is hosting the nettool pod:

    kubectl get pod nettool -o wide

    You can find the node name in the NODE column, for example:

    NAME     READY  STATUS   RESTARTS  AGE  IP         NODE        NOMINATED NODE  READINESS GATES
nettool  1/1    Running  0         23h  10.1.0.68  <node_name>  <none>          <none>

  4. Get the IP address of the pod running NodeLocal DNS:

    kubectl get pod -o wide -n kube-system | grep 'node-local.*<node_name>'

    Result:

    node-local-dns-gv68c  1/1  Running  0  26m  <pod_IP_address>  <node_name>  <none>  <none>

Check the NodeLocal DNS functionality

To test the local DNS, several DNS requests will be made from the nettool pod. This will change the metrics for the number of DNS requests on the pod servicing NodeLocal DNS.

  1. Get the values of the metrics for DNS requests before testing:

    kubectl exec -ti nettool -- curl http://<pod_IP_address>:9253/metrics | grep coredns_dns_requests_total

    Result:

    # HELP coredns_dns_requests_total Counter of DNS requests made per zone, protocol and family.
# TYPE coredns_dns_requests_total counter
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="other",zone="."} 1
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="other",zone="cluster.local."} 1
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="other",zone="in-addr.arpa."} 1
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="other",zone="ip6.arpa."} 1

  2. Run these DNS requests:

    kubectl exec -ti nettool -- nslookup kubernetes && \
kubectl exec -ti nettool -- nslookup kubernetes.default && \
kubectl exec -ti nettool -- nslookup ya.ru

    Result (IP addresses may differ):

    Name:   kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local
Address: 10.2.0.1

Server:         10.2.0.2
Address:        10.2.0.2#53

Name:   kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local
Address: 10.2.0.1

Server:         10.2.0.2
Address:        10.2.0.2#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:   ya.ru
Address: 87.250.250.242
Name:   ya.ru
Address: 2a02:6b8::2:242

  3. Make sure the metric values have increased:

    kubectl exec -ti nettool -- curl http://<pod_IP_address>:9253/metrics | grep coredns_dns_requests_total

    Result:

    # HELP coredns_dns_requests_total Counter of DNS requests made per zone, protocol and family.
# TYPE coredns_dns_requests_total counter
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="A",zone="."} 3
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="A",zone="cluster.local."} 6
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="AAAA",zone="."} 1
coredns_dns_requests_total{family="1",proto="udp",server="dns://0.0.0.0:53",type="AAAA",zone="cluster.local."} 2
...

Delete the resources you created

Delete the resources you no longer need to avoid paying for them:

  1. Delete the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster.
  2. If you used static public IP addresses to access your Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster or nodes, release and delete them.
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