Migrating from NGINX Ingress to Calico Ingress Gateway: A Step-by-Step Guide
From Ingress NGINX to Calico Ingress Gateway
In our previous post, we addressed the most common questions platform teams are asking as they prepare for the retirement of the NGINX Ingress Controller. With the March 2026 deadline fast approaching, this guide provides a hands-on, step-by-step walkthrough for migrating to the Kubernetes Gateway API using Calico Ingress Gateway. You will learn how to translate NGINX annotations into HTTPRoute rules, run both models side by side, and safely cut over live traffic.
A Brief History
The announced retirement of the NGINX Ingress Controller has created a forced migration path for the many teams that relied on it as the industry standard. While the Ingress API is not yet officially deprecated, the Kubernetes SIG Network has designated the Gateway API as its official successor. Legacy Ingress will no longer receive enhancements and exists primarily for backward compatibility.
Why the Industry is Standardizing on Gateway API
While the Ingress API served the community for years, it reached a functional ceiling. Calico Ingress Gateway implements the Gateway API to provide:
- Role-Oriented Design: Clear separation between the infrastructure (managed by SREs) and routing logic (managed by Developers).
- Native Expressiveness: Features like URL rewrites and header manipulation Continue reading
