Waypoint Extensions

[ilrudie]

(This is used to request new product features, please visit https://discuss.istio.io for questions on using Istio)

Describe the feature request

As part of the work to allow for vendors to create their own waypoint implementations we're going to need a mechanism to configure which GatewayClass.gateway.networking.k8s.io Istiod should consider waypoints. Present proposal is to use mechConfig

Describe alternatives you've considered

Using label selection ambient.istio.io/waypoint: true on the GatewayClass or Gateway Resources

Affected product area (please put an X in all that apply)

[ ] Configuration Infrastructure
[ ] Docs
[ ] Installation
[X] Networking
[ ] Performance and Scalability
[ ] Policies and Telemetry
[ ] Security
[ ] Test and Release
[ ] User Experience

Additional context
Istio’s Layered Future, Policy and Conformance

[howardjohn]

Can we discuss this further before execution? I think we can use 100% standard Gateway API with no custom annotations with some tweaks. I will present in WG wednesday.

[ilrudie]

threw out a quick PR with a meshConfig update, we can just close if there's a better direction

(updated PR to be WIP)

[hzxuzhonghu]

why cannot GatewayClassSpec.ControllerName satisfy customize waypoint?

[ilrudie]

@hzxuzhonghu, I'm not sure I understand your proposal. Do you propose there should be some convention used in this field to identify controllers outside of istiod which have configured waypoint proxies?

[hzxuzhonghu]

I mean user can do any customization deploying of waypoint based on ControllerName. For istio, istiod gateway deployment controller will handle it. Maybe i misunderstand your use case

[ilrudie]

This was meant to provide a way for non-istio waypoints to be discovered in the mesh. If you've got controller-x which configures a waypoint for some namespace/SA but istiod/ztunnel aren't aware that it's a waypoint (vs it being any other implementation of kube gateways) we won't send traffic to it and it won't be enforcing any policy.

Edit, I added a link to the doc which provides background in the Additional Context section above.

[hzxuzhonghu]

Got it now, will take a look