Verifying Required Files
First, ensure that the required files (akshay.csr and akshay.key) exist in the root directory:Inspecting the Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
Next, inspect the contents of the CSR to verify its integrity:Creating a CertificateSigningRequest Object
To create a Kubernetes CertificateSigningRequest object, you need the CSR in a Base64 encoded format. Since the CSR is in PEM format, encode it using the following command to produce a single-line output (ensuring the proper use of the-w 0 flag with GNU base64):
Akshay.yaml) for the CertificateSigningRequest object. Replace the placeholder in the request: field with the actual one-line Base64 output:
Important: Ensure that the metadata name is adjusted as needed and verify that the Base64 string is accurate. Extra characters or missing padding (an equals sign ”=” at the end) might lead to errors when applying the YAML.Apply the configuration to create the CSR object:
Warning: Check Base64 Formatting: If you encounter errors, recheck that the Base64 output is a single line with proper padding (using the -w 0 flag) and update your YAML manifest accordingly.
After you have fixed any issues and reapplied the YAML, verify that the CSR is created and is in a pending state:
Approving the Certificate Signing Request
Approve the CSR for Akshay by running:Handling Unwanted Certificate Signing Requests
In this example, a new CSR named “agent-smith” appears. To determine what access is being requested by this CSR, inspect its details in YAML format:spec section that the groups include:
Conclusion
This lab demonstrated the process of handling certificate signing requests in Kubernetes. Through this tutorial, you learned how to:- Generate and inspect a CSR.
- Encode the CSR correctly for Kubernetes.
- Create a CertificateSigningRequest object using a YAML manifest.
- Approve valid certificate signing requests.
- Deny and remove CSRs that request inappropriate permissions.
