Ambient Mode: Node-Level Traffic Handling

Ambient Mode: Node-Level Traffic Handling An architecture diagram generated by Archify. Application · No sidecar · Worker Node › Pod 1 Application No sidecar Application · No sidecar · Worker Node › Pod 2 Application No sidecar ztunnel · 1 per node · L4 proxy · Worker Node · L4 ztunnel 1 per node · L4 proxy L4 Waypoint Proxy · L7 proxy · Optional · Worker Node · L7 Waypoint Proxy L7 proxy · Optional L7 Transparent redirect Transparent redirect When L7 needed Worker Node Pod 1 Pod 2 Legend Frontend Backend Security

Advantages

  • • Low resource usage (1 per node)
  • • Fast pod startup
  • • Simple operations
  • • Gradual L7 feature adoption possible

Disadvantages

  • • Relatively new technology (less mature)
  • • Some advanced features limited
  • • Fine-grained per-pod control is harder