access-dashboard.html.md.erb

---
title: Accessing Dashboard
owner: PKS
---

This topic describes how to access Dashboard, a web-based Kubernetes UI, for your <%= vars.product_full %> deployment. 

##<a id='overview'></a>Overview

Kubernetes provides Dashboard to manage Kubernetes clusters and applications, and to review the state of Kubernetes cluster resources. 

##<a id='access-credentials'></a>Access Credentials

You must have either a <code>kubectl</code> Kubeconfig or Bearer Token access credential to access Dashboard. 

###<a id='kubeconfig-access-credentials'></a>Configure Kubeconfig Access Credentials
You can use the PKS CLI to request a Kubeconfig access credential and 
to save the credential to either a file or environment variable for use as your Dashboard access credential.

To request Kubeconfig credentials use one of the two following methods.

* Request a Kubeconfig access credential using the PKS CLI:

    ```bash
    pks get-credentials CLUSTER-NAME
    ```
    Where `CLUSTER-NAME` is the name of your cluster.
<br><br>
    For example:
    <pre class="terminal">
    $ pks get-credentials pks-bosh

    Fetching credentials for cluster pks-bosh.
    Context set for cluster pks-bosh.
    </pre>
    
    <%= partial "saml-sso-login" %>

* Request a Kubeconfig access credential and assign to your Kubernetes configuration:

    ```bash
    KUBECONFIG=CONFIG-FILE pks get-credentials CLUSTER-NAME
    ```
    Where:
    * `CONFIG-FILE` is the name of the output file which will store the exported access
      credentials.
    * `CLUSTER-NAME` is the name of your cluster.
    
    <%= partial "saml-sso-login" %>

###<a id='bearertoken-access-credentials'></a>Request Bearer Token Access Credentials
You can use `kubectl` to request a Bearer Token access credential.

1. To request your Kubernetes user ID, run the following command:

    ```bash
    kubectl config view -o jsonpath='{.contexts[?(@.name == "CLUSTER-NAME")].context.user}'
    ```
    Where `CLUSTER-NAME` is the name of your cluster.
<br><br>
    For example:
    <pre class="terminal">
    $ kubectl config view -o jsonpath='{.contexts[?(@.name == "pks-bosh")].context.user}'
    dxbjlm0j-ac11-43f9-99a7-87u5u4fbe44b
    </pre>

1. To derive a Kubeconfig Token use one of the two following methods.
    * Kubectl Get Secret request:

        ```
        kubectl describe secret $(kubectl get secret | grep USER-ID | awk '{print $1}') | grep "token:"
        ```
        Where `USER-ID` is your Kubernetes User ID.
<br><br>
        For example:
        <pre class="terminal">
        $ kubectl describe secret $(kubectl get secret | grep dxbjlm0j-ac11-43f9-99a7-87u5u4fbe44b | awk '{print $1}') | grep "token:"
        token:      eyxYzGciOiJSUzI1NiPsIndxbaac0jac11erf999a787e3e4fbe44rgnZ....iI4utgU6-qKDEdwEJw5TQA
        </pre>
    * Kubectl Describe Service Accounts request:

        ```
        kubectl describe secret $(kubectl describe serviceaccounts USER-ID | grep Tokens | awk '{print $2}') | grep "token:"
        ```
        Where `USER-ID` is your Kubernetes User ID.
<br><br>
        For example:
        <pre class="terminal">
        $ kubectl describe secret $(kubectl describe serviceaccounts dxbjlm0j-ac11-43f9-99a7-87u5u4fbe44b | grep Tokens | awk '{print $2}') | grep "token:"
        token:      eyxYzGciOiJSUzI1NiPsIndxbaac0jac11erf999a787e3e4fbe44rgnZ....iI4utgU6-qKDEdwEJw5TQA
        </pre>

##<a id='access'></a>Access Dashboard
After you have obtained access credentials you can authenticate into Dashboard.  

1. To start the proxy server run the following:

    ```bash
    kubectl proxy
    ```

1. To access the Dashboard UI, open a browser and navigate to the following:

    ```text
    http://localhost:8001/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/https:kubernetes-dashboard:/proxy/
    ````

1. On the Kubernetes Dashboard sign in page select an option based on the type of credential that
you prepared in the previous steps. 
    * If you prepared a Kubeconfig credential file:
        * Select **Kubeconfig**.
        * To specify your kubeconfig file select **`...`**, to the right of **Choose kubeconfig file**.
        * Specify the kubeconfig file location.  
    * If you prepared a Kubeconfig token:
        * Select **Token**.
        * To specify your kubeconfig token, paste your kubeconfig token into the **Enter token** area.  

1. Click **SIGN IN**. The Dashboard Overview page is displayed.


##<a id='use'></a>Use Dashboard

For information about how to use Dashboard, see [Web UI (Dashboard)](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/web-ui-dashboard/#welcome-view) in the Kubernetes documentation.