---
title: 'Advanced | Kubernetes'
---
## Deployment Example
There is nothing much in deploying mailserver to Kubernetes itself. The things are pretty same as in [`docker-compose.yml`][github-file-compose], but with Kubernetes syntax.
??? example "ConfigMap"
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
name: mailserver
---
kind: ConfigMap
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver.env.config
namespace: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
data:
OVERRIDE_HOSTNAME: example.com
ENABLE_FETCHMAIL: "0"
FETCHMAIL_POLL: "120"
ENABLE_SPAMASSASSIN: "0"
ENABLE_CLAMAV: "0"
ENABLE_FAIL2BAN: "0"
ENABLE_POSTGREY: "0"
ONE_DIR: "1"
DMS_DEBUG: "0"
---
kind: ConfigMap
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver.config
namespace: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
data:
postfix-accounts.cf: |
user1@example.com|{SHA512-CRYPT}$6$2YpW1nYtPBs2yLYS$z.5PGH1OEzsHHNhl3gJrc3D.YMZkvKw/vp.r5WIiwya6z7P/CQ9GDEJDr2G2V0cAfjDFeAQPUoopsuWPXLk3u1
postfix-virtual.cf: |
alias1@example.com user1@dexample.com
#dovecot.cf: |
# service stats {
# unix_listener stats-reader {
# group = docker
# mode = 0666
# }
# unix_listener stats-writer {
# group = docker
# mode = 0666
# }
# }
SigningTable: |
*@example.com mail._domainkey.example.com
KeyTable: |
mail._domainkey.example.com example.com:mail:/etc/opendkim/keys/example.com-mail.key
TrustedHosts: |
127.0.0.1
localhost
#user-patches.sh: |
# #!/bin/bash
#fetchmail.cf: |
```
??? example "Secret"
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
name: mailserver
---
kind: Secret
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver.opendkim.keys
namespace: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
type: Opaque
data:
example.com-mail.key: 'base64-encoded-DKIM-key'
```
??? example "Service"
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
name: mailserver
---
kind: Service
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver
namespace: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
spec:
selector:
app: mailserver
ports:
- name: smtp
port: 25
targetPort: smtp
- name: smtp-secure
port: 465
targetPort: smtp-secure
- name: smtp-auth
port: 587
targetPort: smtp-auth
- name: imap
port: 143
targetPort: imap
- name: imap-secure
port: 993
targetPort: imap-secure
```
??? example "Deployment"
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
name: mailserver
---
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: mailserver
namespace: mailserver
spec:
replicas: 1
selector:
matchLabels:
app: mailserver
template:
metadata:
labels:
app: mailserver
role: mail
tier: backend
spec:
#nodeSelector:
# kubernetes.io/hostname: local.k8s
#initContainers:
#- name: init-myservice
# image: busybox
# command: ["/bin/sh", "-c", "cp /tmp/user-patches.sh /tmp/files"]
# volumeMounts:
# - name: config
# subPath: user-patches.sh
# mountPath: /tmp/user-patches.sh
# readOnly: true
# - name: tmp-files
# mountPath: /tmp/files
containers:
- name: docker-mailserver
image: mailserver/docker-mailserver:latest
imagePullPolicy: Always
securityContext:
capabilities:
# If Fail2Ban is not enabled, you can remove NET_ADMIN.
# If you are running on CRI-O, you will need the SYS_CHROOT capability,
# as it is no longer a default capability.
add: ["NET_ADMIN", "SYS_PTRACE", "SYS_CHROOT" ]
volumeMounts:
- name: config
subPath: postfix-accounts.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-accounts.cf
readOnly: true
#- name: config
# subPath: postfix-main.cf
# mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-main.cf
# readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: postfix-virtual.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-virtual.cf
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: fetchmail.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/fetchmail.cf
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: dovecot.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/dovecot.cf
readOnly: true
#- name: config
# subPath: user1.example.com.dovecot.sieve
# mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/user1@example.com.dovecot.sieve
# readOnly: true
#- name: tmp-files
# subPath: user-patches.sh
# mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/user-patches.sh
- name: config
subPath: SigningTable
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/opendkim/SigningTable
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: KeyTable
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/opendkim/KeyTable
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: TrustedHosts
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/opendkim/TrustedHosts
readOnly: true
- name: opendkim-keys
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/opendkim/keys
readOnly: true
- name: data
mountPath: /var/mail
subPath: data
- name: data
mountPath: /var/mail-state
subPath: state
- name: data
mountPath: /var/log/mail
subPath: log
ports:
- name: smtp
containerPort: 25
protocol: TCP
- name: smtp-secure
containerPort: 465
protocol: TCP
- name: smtp-auth
containerPort: 587
- name: imap
containerPort: 143
protocol: TCP
- name: imap-secure
containerPort: 993
protocol: TCP
envFrom:
- configMapRef:
name: mailserver.env.config
volumes:
- name: config
configMap:
name: mailserver.config
- name: opendkim-keys
secret:
secretName: mailserver.opendkim.keys
- name: data
persistentVolumeClaim:
claimName: mail-storage
- name: tmp-files
emptyDir: {}
```
!!! warning
Any sensitive data (keys, etc) should be deployed via [Secrets][k8s-config-secret]. Other configuration just fits well into [ConfigMaps][k8s-config-pod].
!!! note
Make sure that [Pod][k8s-workload-pod] is [assigned][k8s-assign-pod-node] to specific [Node][k8s-nodes] in case you're using volume for data directly with `hostPath`. Otherwise Pod can be rescheduled on a different Node and previous data won't be found. Except the case when you're using some shared filesystem on your Nodes.
!!! note
If you experience issues with processes crashing showing an error like `operation not permitted` or `postfix/pickup[987]: fatal: chroot(/var/spool/postfix): Operation not permitted`, then you should add the `SYS_CHROOT` capability. Runtimes like CRI-O do not ship with this capability by default.
## Exposing to the Outside World
The hard part with Kubernetes is to expose deployed mailserver to outside world. Kubernetes provides multiple ways for doing that. Each has its downsides and complexity.
The major problem with exposing mailserver to outside world in Kubernetes is to [preserve real client IP][k8s-service-source-ip]. Real client IP is required by mailserver for performing IP-based SPF checks and spam checks.
Preserving real client IP is relatively [non-trivial in Kubernetes][k8s-service-source-ip] and most exposing ways do not provide it. So, it's up to you to decide which exposing way suits better your needs in a price of complexity.
If you do not require SPF checks for incoming mails you may disable them in [Postfix configuration][docs-postfix] by dropping following line (which removes `check_policy_service unix:private/policyd-spf` option):
!!! example
```yaml
kind: ConfigMap
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver.config
labels:
app: mailserver
data:
postfix-main.cf: |
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_sasl_authenticated, permit_mynetworks, reject_unauth_destination, reject_unauth_pipelining, reject_invalid_helo_hostname, reject_non_fqdn_helo_hostname, reject_unknown_recipient_domain, reject_rbl_client zen.spamhaus.org, reject_rbl_client bl.spamcop.net
# ...
---
kind: Deployment
apiVersion: extensions/v1beta1
metadata:
name: mailserver
# ...
volumeMounts:
- name: config
subPath: postfix-main.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-main.cf
readOnly: true
```
### External IPs Service
The simplest way is to expose mailserver as a [Service][k8s-network-service] with [external IPs][k8s-network-external-ip].
!!! example
```yaml
kind: Service
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
spec:
selector:
app: mailserver
ports:
- name: smtp
port: 25
targetPort: smtp
# ...
externalIPs:
- 80.11.12.10
```
**Downsides**
- __Real client IP is not preserved__, so SPF check of incoming mail will fail.
- Requirement to specify exposed IPs explicitly.
### Proxy port to Service
The [Proxy Pod][k8s-proxy-service] helps to avoid necessity of specifying external IPs explicitly. This comes in price of complexity: you must deploy Proxy Pod on each [Node][k8s-nodes] you want to expose mailserver on.
**Downsides**
- __Real client IP is not preserved__, so SPF check of incoming mail will fail.
### Bind to concrete Node and use host network
The simplest way to preserve real client IP is to use `hostPort` and `hostNetwork: true` in the mailserver [Pod][k8s-workload-pod]. This comes in price of availability: you can talk to mailserver from outside world only via IPs of [Node][k8s-nodes] where mailserver is deployed.
!!! example
```yaml
kind: Deployment
apiVersion: extensions/v1beta1
metadata:
name: mailserver
# ...
spec:
hostNetwork: true
# ...
containers:
# ...
ports:
- name: smtp
containerPort: 25
hostPort: 25
- name: smtp-auth
containerPort: 587
hostPort: 587
- name: imap-secure
containerPort: 993
hostPort: 993
# ...
```
**Downsides**
- Not possible to access mailserver via other cluster Nodes, only via the one mailserver deployed at.
- Every Port within the Container is exposed on the Host side, regardless of what the `ports` section in the Configuration defines.
### Proxy Port to Service via PROXY Protocol
This way is ideologically the same as [using Proxy Pod](#proxy-port-to-service), but instead of a separate proxy pod, you configure your ingress to proxy TCP traffic to the mailserver pod using the PROXY protocol, which preserves the real client IP.
#### Configure your Ingress
With an [NGINX ingress controller][k8s-nginx], set `externalTrafficPolicy: Local` for its service, and add the following to the TCP services config map (as described [here][k8s-nginx-expose]):
```yaml
25: "mailserver/mailserver:25::PROXY"
465: "mailserver/mailserver:465::PROXY"
587: "mailserver/mailserver:587::PROXY"
993: "mailserver/mailserver:993::PROXY"
```
With [HAProxy][dockerhub-haproxy], the configuration should look similar to the above. If you know what it actually looks like, add an example here. :smiley:
#### Configure the Mailserver
Then, configure both [Postfix][docs-postfix] and [Dovecot][docs-dovecot] to expect the PROXY protocol:
!!! example
```yaml
kind: ConfigMap
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: mailserver.config
labels:
app: mailserver
data:
postfix-main.cf: |
postscreen_upstream_proxy_protocol = haproxy
postfix-master.cf: |
smtp/inet/postscreen_upstream_proxy_protocol=haproxy
submission/inet/smtpd_upstream_proxy_protocol=haproxy
smtps/inet/smtpd_upstream_proxy_protocol=haproxy
dovecot.cf: |
# Assuming your ingress controller is bound to 10.0.0.0/8
haproxy_trusted_networks = 10.0.0.0/8, 127.0.0.0/8
service imap-login {
inet_listener imap {
haproxy = yes
}
inet_listener imaps {
haproxy = yes
}
}
# ...
---
kind: Deployment
apiVersion: extensions/v1beta1
metadata:
name: mailserver
spec:
template:
spec:
containers:
- name: docker-mailserver
volumeMounts:
- name: config
subPath: postfix-main.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-main.cf
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: postfix-master.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/postfix-master.cf
readOnly: true
- name: config
subPath: dovecot.cf
mountPath: /tmp/docker-mailserver/dovecot.cf
readOnly: true
```
**Downsides**
- Not possible to access mailserver via inner cluster Kubernetes DNS, as PROXY protocol is required for incoming connections.
## Let's Encrypt Certificates
[Kube-Lego][kube-lego] may be used for a role of Let's Encrypt client. It works with Kubernetes [Ingress Resources][k8s-network-ingress] and automatically issues/manages certificates/keys for exposed services via Ingresses.
!!! example
```yaml
kind: Ingress
apiVersion: extensions/v1beta1
metadata:
name: mailserver
labels:
app: mailserver
annotations:
kubernetes.io/tls-acme: 'true'
spec:
rules:
- host: example.com
http:
paths:
- path: /
backend:
serviceName: default-backend
servicePort: 80
tls:
- secretName: mailserver.tls
hosts:
- example.com
```
Now, you can use Let's Encrypt cert and key from `mailserver.tls` [Secret][k8s-config-secret] in your [Pod][k8s-workload-pod] spec:
!!! example
```yaml
# ...
env:
- name: SSL_TYPE
value: 'manual'
- name: SSL_CERT_PATH
value: '/etc/ssl/mailserver/tls.crt'
- name: SSL_KEY_PATH
value: '/etc/ssl/mailserver/tls.key'
# ...
volumeMounts:
- name: tls
mountPath: /etc/ssl/mailserver
readOnly: true
# ...
volumes:
- name: tls
secret:
secretName: mailserver.tls
```
[docs-dovecot]: ./override-defaults/dovecot.md
[docs-postfix]: ./override-defaults/postfix.md
[github-file-compose]: https://github.com/docker-mailserver/docker-mailserver/blob/master/docker-compose.yml
[dockerhub-haproxy]: https://hub.docker.com/_/haproxy
[kube-lego]: https://github.com/jetstack/kube-lego
[k8s-assign-pod-node]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/assign-pod-node
[k8s-config-pod]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configmap
[k8s-config-secret]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret
[k8s-nginx]: https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx
[k8s-nginx-expose]: https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx/user-guide/exposing-tcp-udp-services
[k8s-network-ingress]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/ingress
[k8s-network-service]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service
[k8s-network-external-ip]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#external-ips
[k8s-nodes]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/architecture/nodes
[k8s-proxy-service]: https://github.com/kubernetes/contrib/tree/master/for-demos/proxy-to-service
[k8s-service-source-ip]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tutorials/services/source-ip
[k8s-workload-pod]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/pods/pod