Akasha.
DocsAbout networkingNetwork forwards

Network forwards

Forward traffic from a listen address into instances on a bridge or OVN network using port rules.

A network forward maps traffic that arrives at a listen address to instances inside your network. It is the simplest way to expose a single instance's service: pick an address, define which ports go where. Forwards are available on bridge and OVN networks.

How a forward works

A forward has:

  • A listen address — the IP address that receives incoming traffic.
  • An optional default target address — an instance address inside the network that receives traffic for any port without a specific rule.
  • Port rules — each rule maps a listen port and protocol to a target address, and optionally a different target port.

Remember that the listen address itself is still a private platform address. To receive traffic from the internet, your administrator must map a public IP to the listen address at the network edge — see About networking.

Create a forward

  1. Go to Networking → Networks and open the network.

  2. Open the Forwards tab and click Create forward.

  3. Enter the listen address. It must be a valid IP address that can carry traffic into the network; the form shows information about the network's uplink to help you pick a valid address. Check the IPAM page to avoid addresses that are already in use.

  4. Optionally enter a default target address.

  5. Add port rules. Each rule has:

    FieldRequiredNotes
    Listen portYesThe port (or ports) on the listen address.
    ProtocolYestcp or udp.
    Target addressYesThe private IP of the instance to forward to.
    Target portNoLeave empty to use the listen port.

  6. Click Create.

Find an instance's private IP on the instance detail page or on the network's Leases tab.

Forwards on clustered bridge networks

When the platform runs across multiple hosts, a forward on a bridge network is specific to one cluster member (host): the create form includes a cluster member selector, and the forward only accepts traffic on that member. Forwards on OVN networks do not have this restriction.

Edit or delete a forward

On the network's Forwards tab, use the edit action to change the default target or the port rules, or the delete action to remove the forward. Deleting a forward stops traffic immediately; it does not affect the target instances themselves.

When to use a load balancer instead

A forward sends each port's traffic to exactly one target address. If you need to distribute traffic for one port across several instances, use a network load balancer on an OVN network. For services running on a managed Kubernetes cluster, use External IPs or TCP routes instead — see Ingress and external traffic.