The Network Service Mesh (NSM) is a novel approach to providing networking between workloads in the cloud-native environment. It is a project under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) that aims to simplify, secure, and bring flexibility to the networking of services in Kubernetes and other orchestration platforms.
NSM brings the concept of service meshes, which are typically used for service-to-service communication, to the networking layer. It allows for the creation of complex network topologies and the implementation of sophisticated networking policies, all while maintaining the simplicity and ease-of-use that Kubernetes users have come to expect.
Definition of Network Service Mesh (NSM)
The Network Service Mesh (NSM) is a networking solution for cloud-native applications. It provides a way for workloads to connect, communicate, and share data in a secure and reliable manner. NSM is not a service mesh in the traditional sense, but rather a networking model that applies the principles of service meshes to the network layer.
NSM is designed to work with Kubernetes and other orchestration platforms, providing a networking model that is more suited to the needs of cloud-native applications. It is a project under the CNCF, which is a testament to its alignment with the principles of cloud-native computing.
Key Components of NSM
The Network Service Mesh is made up of several key components. These include the Network Service Endpoint (NSE), the Network Service Client (NSC), and the Network Service Manager (NSM).
The NSE is the component that provides the network service. It could be a pod, a virtual machine, or any other entity capable of providing network services. The NSC is the consumer of the network service. It requests a connection to the NSE through the NSM. The NSM is the component that manages the connections between the NSEs and the NSCs. It is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and tearing down the connections.
Explanation of How NSM Works
NSM works by establishing connections between NSCs and NSEs. When an NSC needs to connect to an NSE, it sends a request to the NSM. The NSM then finds an appropriate NSE and establishes a connection between the two. This connection is secure, reliable, and can be configured to meet the specific needs of the application.
The connections in NSM are not based on IP addresses, but on the concept of network services. A network service is a high-level abstraction that represents a set of networking capabilities. This allows for more flexibility and simplicity in the configuration of the network.
NSM and Service Discovery
One of the key features of NSM is its support for service discovery. Service discovery is the process by which an application or a service finds the network location of another service it needs to communicate with. In NSM, service discovery is handled by the NSM, which maintains a registry of all the available NSEs and their corresponding network services.
When an NSC needs to connect to a network service, it sends a request to the NSM. The NSM then consults its registry to find an NSE that provides the requested service. Once it finds a suitable NSE, it establishes a connection between the NSC and the NSE.
History of NSM
The concept of Network Service Mesh was first introduced in 2018 as a solution to the networking challenges faced by cloud-native applications. The project was accepted into the CNCF Sandbox in 2019, and it has been under active development since then.
The idea behind NSM was to bring the benefits of service meshes to the networking layer. Service meshes have proven to be highly effective in managing service-to-service communication in a microservices architecture. By applying the same principles to the networking layer, NSM aims to simplify, secure, and bring flexibility to the networking of cloud-native applications.
Use Cases of NSM
NSM is particularly useful in environments where traditional networking solutions fall short. It is well-suited for cloud-native applications that require complex network topologies, sophisticated networking policies, and high levels of security and reliability.
Some of the use cases of NSM include multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, edge computing, service function chaining, and network function virtualization. NSM is also useful in scenarios where the application needs to connect to services outside the Kubernetes cluster, such as legacy systems or external APIs.
NSM in Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments
In multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, applications often need to communicate across different cloud platforms and data centers. Traditional networking solutions can be challenging to implement in these environments due to the differences in networking models and APIs between different cloud providers.
NSM provides a unified networking model that works across different cloud platforms and data centers. It allows for the creation of complex network topologies and the implementation of sophisticated networking policies, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
Examples of NSM
One example of how NSM can be used is in a multi-cloud environment where an application running in a Kubernetes cluster needs to connect to a database running in a different cloud platform. With NSM, the application can establish a secure and reliable connection to the database, regardless of the networking models and APIs of the two cloud platforms.
Another example is in an edge computing scenario where an application running on an edge device needs to connect to a service running in a central data center. NSM can establish a connection between the application and the service, ensuring that the data is transmitted securely and reliably.