Linkerd2

Previously known as Conduit, Linkerd2 is the subsequent release to its predecessor, Linkerd, by the company Buoyant. This next-generation service mesh framework, lighter than Linkerd, is specifically designed for Kubernetes cluster environments. It's open-source, available at https://github.com/linkerd/linkerd2.

What sets it apart is its ability to integrate proxy services directly with actual service pods in a Kubernetes cluster. This is achieved using a mechanism known as 'sidecars', a method also similarly adopted by Istio. Linkerd2 comes without the bulky JVM overhead, thanks to being implemented using Rust and Go programming languages.

Some significant features of Linkerd2 include:

• Its fast and lightweight design, with each proxy container consuming only 10mb RSS and introducing latency at the sub-millisecond level.

• Out-of-the-box security with Rust and default TLS support.

• End-to-end visualization capabilities.

• Contribution towards enhancing Kubernetes' reliability, visibility, and security.

Deployment

$ linkerd install | kubectl apply -f -

// followed by service and pod status checks using the commands below

$ kubectl -n linkerd get svc  
$ kubectl -n linkerd get pod  

Dashboard

$ linkerd dashboard

Linkerd2 Dashboard

Sample Application

A sample application can be deployed using:

curl https://run.linkerd.io/emojivoto.yml \
  | linkerd inject - \
  | kubectl apply -f -

You can then check the network traffic statistics of the services as seen below:

linkerd -n emojivoto stat deployment

For tracking network traffic of services, use:

$ linkerd -n emojivoto tap deploy voting

References

• A SERVICE MESH FOR KUBERNETES

• Service Mesh Pattern

• https://linkerd.io/2/overview/