:_mod-docs-content-type: ASSEMBLY
[id="configuring-externalip"]
= Configuring ExternalIPs for services
include::_attributes/common-attributes.adoc[]
:context: configuring-externalip

toc::[]

[role="_abstract"]
As a cluster administrator, you can select an IP address block that is external to the cluster and can send traffic to services in the cluster. This functionality is generally most useful for clusters installed on bare-metal hardware.

[IMPORTANT]
====
Before you configure ExternalIPs for services, your network infrastructure must route traffic for the external IP addresses to your cluster.
====

// About ExternalIP
include::modules/nw-externalip-about.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

// Configuration for ExternalIP
include::modules/configuration-externalip.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

// Applying restrictions on the assignment of an external IP address
include::modules/restrictions-on-ip-assignment.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

// Example policy objects
include::modules/example-policy-objects.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

// ExternalIP address block configuration
include::modules/nw-externalip-object.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

// Configure external IP address blocks for your cluster
include::modules/nw-externalip-configuring.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

[role="_additional-resources"]
== Additional resources

* xref:../../../networking/configuring_network_settings/configuring-ipfailover.adoc#configuring-ipfailover[Configuring IP failover]

* xref:../../../networking/networking_operators/metallb-operator/about-metallb.adoc#about-metallb[About MetalLB and the MetalLB Operator]

[id="configuring-externalip-next-steps"]
== Next steps

* xref:../../../networking/ingress_load_balancing/configuring_ingress_cluster_traffic/configuring-ingress-cluster-traffic-service-external-ip.adoc#configuring-ingress-cluster-traffic-service-external-ip[Configuring ingress cluster traffic for a service external IP]
