---
layout: docs
page_title: Resolve Consul DNS requests in Kubernetes
description: >-
  Use a k8s ConfigMap to configure KubeDNS or CoreDNS so that you can use Consul's `<service-name>.service.consul` syntax for queries and other DNS requests. In Kubernetes, this process uses either stub-domain or proxy configuration.
---

# Resolve Consul DNS Requests in Kubernetes

One of the primary query interfaces to Consul is the
[DNS interface](/consul/docs/services/discovery/dns-overview). You can configure Consul DNS in
Kubernetes using a
[stub-domain configuration](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/dns-custom-nameservers/#configure-stub-domain-and-upstream-dns-servers)
if using KubeDNS or a [proxy configuration](https://coredns.io/plugins/forward/) if using CoreDNS.

Once configured, DNS requests in the form `<consul-service-name>.service.consul` will
resolve for services in Consul. This will work from all Kubernetes namespaces.

-> **Note:** If you want requests to just `<consul-service-name>` (without the `.service.consul`) to resolve, then you'll need
to turn on [Consul to Kubernetes Service Sync](/consul/docs/k8s/service-sync#consul-to-kubernetes).

## Consul DNS Cluster IP

To configure KubeDNS or CoreDNS you'll first need the `ClusterIP` of the Consul
DNS service created by the [Helm chart](/consul/docs/k8s/helm).

The default name of the Consul DNS service will be `consul-dns`. Use
that name to get the `ClusterIP`:

```shell-session
$ kubectl get svc consul-dns --output jsonpath='{.spec.clusterIP}'
10.35.240.78%
```

For this installation the `ClusterIP` is `10.35.240.78`.

-> **Note:** If you've installed Consul using a different helm release name than `consul`
then the DNS service name will be `<release-name>-consul-dns`.

## KubeDNS

If using KubeDNS, you need to create a `ConfigMap` that tells KubeDNS
to use the Consul DNS service to resolve all domains ending with `.consul`:

Export the Consul DNS IP as an environment variable:

```bash
export CONSUL_DNS_IP=10.35.240.78
```

And create the `ConfigMap`:

```shell-session
$ cat <<EOF | kubectl apply --filename -
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  labels:
    addonmanager.kubernetes.io/mode: EnsureExists
  name: kube-dns
  namespace: kube-system
data:
  stubDomains: |
    {"consul": ["$CONSUL_DNS_IP"]}
EOF
Warning: kubectl apply should be used on resource created by either kubectl create --save-config or kubectl apply
configmap/kube-dns configured
```

Ensure that the `ConfigMap` was created successfully:

```shell-session
$ kubectl get configmap kube-dns --namespace kube-system --output yaml
apiVersion: v1
data:
  stubDomains: |
    {"consul": ["10.35.240.78"]}
kind: ConfigMap
...
```

-> **Note:** The `stubDomain` can only point to a static IP. If the cluster IP
of the Consul DNS service changes, then it must be updated in the config map to
match the new service IP for this to continue
working. This can happen if the service is deleted and recreated, such as
in full cluster rebuilds.

-> **Note:** If using a different zone than `.consul`, change the stub domain to
that zone.

Now skip ahead to the [Verifying DNS Works](#verifying-dns-works) section.

## CoreDNS Configuration

If using CoreDNS instead of KubeDNS in your Kubernetes cluster, you will
need to update your existing `coredns` ConfigMap in the `kube-system` namespace to
include a `forward` definition for `consul` that points to the cluster IP of the
Consul DNS service.

Edit the `ConfigMap`:

```shell-session
$ kubectl edit configmap coredns --namespace kube-system
```

And add the `consul` block below the default `.:53` block and replace
`<consul-dns-service-cluster-ip>` with the DNS Service's IP address you
found previously.

```diff
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  labels:
    addonmanager.kubernetes.io/mode: EnsureExists
  name: coredns
  namespace: kube-system
data:
  Corefile: |
    .:53 {
        <Existing CoreDNS definition>
    }
+   consul {
+     errors
+     cache 30
+     forward . <consul-dns-service-cluster-ip>
+   }
```

-> **Note:** The consul proxy can only point to a static IP. If the cluster IP
of the `consul-dns` service changes, then it must be updated to the new IP to continue
working. This can happen if the service is deleted and recreated, such as
in full cluster rebuilds.

-> **Note:** If using a different zone than `.consul`, change the key accordingly.

## OpenShift DNS Operator

-> **Note:** OpenShift CLI `oc` is utilized below complete the following steps. You can find more details on how to install OpenShift CLI from [Getting started with OpenShift CLI](https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/latest/cli_reference/openshift_cli/getting-started-cli.html).

You can use DNS forwarding to override the default forwarding configuration in the `/etc/resolv.conf` file by specifying
the `consul-dns` service for the `consul` subdomain (zone).

Find `consul-dns` service clusterIP:

```shell-session
$ oc get svc consul-dns --namespace consul --output jsonpath='{.spec.clusterIP}'
172.30.186.254
```

Edit the `default` DNS Operator:

```shell-session
$ oc edit edit dns.operator/default
```

Append the following `servers` section entry to the `spec` section of the DNS Operator configuration:

```yaml
spec:
  servers:
  - name: consul-server
    zones:
    - consul
    forwardPlugin:
      policy: Random
      upstreams:
      - 172.30.186.254 # Set to clusterIP of consul-dns service
```

Save the configuration changes and verify the `dns-default` configmap has been updated:

```shell-session
$ oc get configmap/dns-default -n openshift-dns -o yaml
```

Example output with updated `consul` forwarding zone:

```yaml
...
data:
  Corefile: |
    # consul-server
    consul:5353 {
        prometheus 127.0.0.1:9153
        forward . 172.30.186.254 {
            policy random
        }
        errors
        log . {
            class error
        }
        bufsize 1232
        cache 900 {
            denial 9984 30
        }
    }
...
```

## Verifying DNS Works

To verify DNS works, run a simple job to query DNS. Save the following
job to the file `job.yaml` and run it:

<CodeBlockConfig filename="job.yaml">

```yaml
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: Job
metadata:
  name: dns
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: dns
          image: anubhavmishra/tiny-tools
          command: ['dig', 'consul.service.consul']
      restartPolicy: Never
  backoffLimit: 4
```

</CodeBlockConfig>

```shell-session
$ kubectl apply --filename job.yaml
```

Then query the pod name for the job and check the logs. You should see
output similar to the following showing a successful DNS query. If you see
any errors, then DNS is not configured properly.

```shell-session
$ kubectl get pods --show-all | grep dns
dns-lkgzl         0/1       Completed   0          6m

$ kubectl logs dns-lkgzl
; <<>> DiG 9.11.2-P1 <<>> consul.service.consul
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 4489
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 3, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 4

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;consul.service.consul.		IN	A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	A	10.36.2.23
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	A	10.36.4.12
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	A	10.36.0.11

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	TXT	"consul-network-segment="
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	TXT	"consul-network-segment="
consul.service.consul.	0	IN	TXT	"consul-network-segment="

;; Query time: 5 msec
;; SERVER: 10.39.240.10#53(10.39.240.10)
;; WHEN: Wed Sep 12 02:12:30 UTC 2018
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 206
```
