Gloo Architecture and Applied Configuration by Richard Johnson

"Gloo Architecture and Applied Configuration"

"Gloo Architecture and Applied Configuration" delivers a definitive blueprint for leveraging Gloo's API gateway and service mesh technologies in modern cloud-native environments. This comprehensive guide opens with foundational concepts, detailing the evolution of API gateways, an in-depth look at Gloo’s architecture built on Envoy Proxy, and the nuanced differences across the Gloo product family. Readers gain clarity on key abstractions like Upstreams and Routes, as well as seamless integration with Kubernetes and custom resource definitions, laying the groundwork for scalable, declarative infrastructure management.

The book progresses to advanced deployment models, highlighting single and multi-cluster topologies, hybrid and multi-cloud patterns, and high-availability strategies fit for enterprise demands. Readers will find extensive coverage of applied configuration management, from advanced routing and traffic policies to dynamic reloads, configuration validation, and drift detection. Security, identity, and policy enforcement are meticulously addressed, equipping architects and operators with the tools for encrypted traffic, granular authorization, API threat mitigation, and compliance logging.

Further, "Gloo Architecture and Applied Configuration" explores sophisticated traffic management, plugin extensibility, and seamless integration into CI/CD, GitOps, and observability stacks. Real-world case studies showcase Gloo in diverse sectors—from large-scale deployments to secure zero trust patterns and resilient disaster recovery strategies. Concluding with a forward-looking perspective, the book examines emerging features, open community participation, and pivotal trends shaping API and service connectivity, making it an essential resource for engineers, architects, and technology leaders steering their organizations toward next-generation cloud infrastructure.