Service Mesh: Architectures, Applications, and Implementations

TL;DR

This paper explores the architecture and implementations of service mesh technology, highlighting its potential to address management challenges in microservice-based cloud-native applications and its applications in areas like 5G.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of service mesh architectures, reviews key implementations, and discusses their applicability beyond traditional cloud environments.

Findings

Service mesh architectures improve microservice management.

Two major service mesh implementations are analyzed.

Potential applications of service mesh in 5G are discussed.

Abstract

The scalability and flexibility of microservice architecture have led to major changes in cloud-native application architectures. However, the complexity of managing thousands of small services written in different languages and handling the exchange of data between them have caused significant management challenges. Service mesh is a promising solution that could mitigate these problems by introducing an overlay layer on top of the services. In this paper, we first study the architecture and components of service mesh architecture. Then, we review two important service mesh implementations and discuss how the service mesh could be helpful in other areas, including 5G.