> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.apinizer.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Kubectl Connection via Apinizer Reverse Proxy (Windows)

> Explains the steps required to connect the kubectl tool to a Kubernetes cluster via Apinizer reverse proxy in a Windows environment. Covers retrieving cluster information, configuring Apinizer, generating a token, and preparing the kubeconfig file.

## 1. Retrieving Cluster Information

Run the following command to get the Kubernetes API server address and port:

```cmd theme={null}
kubectl cluster-info
```

Note the `Kubernetes control plane` address and port from the output. This information will be used when defining the reverse proxy in Apinizer.

## 2. Adding a Reverse Proxy in Apinizer

Create a reverse proxy definition in Apinizer for the relevant cluster. Use the address from the `kubectl cluster-info` output as the backend.

### Request Policy Configuration

To ensure the Kubernetes API works properly with kubectl, add the following header transformations under **Request Policy → Business Rule**:

| Action Type | Source Variable   | Variable Data Type | Target Value Source Type | Value      |
| ----------- | ----------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------ | ---------- |
| `Modify`    | `accept-encoding` | `String`           | `Specify the Value`      | `identity` |
| `Delete`    | `accept-encoding` | -                  | -                        | -          |

<Info>
  If these header transformations are not applied, kubectl requests gzip-compressed and specially formatted responses from Kubernetes. While processing these responses, Apinizer may truncate the JSON, causing an `unexpected end of JSON input` error.
</Info>

## 3. Generating a Token

Run the following commands on a machine that has access to the Kubernetes cluster:

**Create service account:**

```cmd theme={null}
kubectl create serviceaccount kube-user -n kube-system
```

**Assign cluster-admin role:**

```cmd theme={null}
kubectl create clusterrolebinding kube-user-admin --clusterrole=cluster-admin --serviceaccount=kube-system:kube-user
```

**Generate token (valid for 1 year):**

```cmd theme={null}
kubectl create token kube-user -n kube-system --duration=8760h
```

<Info>
  Copy the token value from the output of the last command and store it securely. This token will be used in the kubeconfig file in the next step. When the token expires, repeat this step to generate a new one.
</Info>

## 4. Preparing the Kubeconfig File

On Windows, kubectl reads cluster connection information from the `%USERPROFILE%\.kube\config` file. This file is usually located at:

```
C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\.kube\config
```

To create the file, run the following commands in CMD:

```cmd theme={null}
mkdir %USERPROFILE%\.kube
notepad %USERPROFILE%\.kube\config
```

When Notepad opens, paste the following template, fill in the required fields, and save:

```yaml theme={null}
apiVersion: v1
clusters:
- cluster:
    server: <Apinizer reverse proxy URL>
    insecure-skip-tls-verify: true
  name: kubernetes
contexts:
- context:
    cluster: kubernetes
    user: kube-user
  name: kube-user@kubernetes
current-context: kube-user@kubernetes
kind: Config
preferences: {}
users:
- name: kube-user
  user:
    token: <PASTE_TOKEN_FROM_STEP_3_HERE>
```

<Info>
  The `insecure-skip-tls-verify: true` setting is required because Apinizer’s TLS certificate differs from the Kubernetes certificate.
</Info>