LINKERD-EDI

The simplicity-focused service mesh — fewer features but zero complexity.

Definition

Linkerd 2.x injects a Rust proxy (linkerd2-proxy, ~25 MB per pod vs ~100 MB for Envoy/Istio). Provides automatic mTLS, retries, timeouts, Prometheus metrics. No complex custom-resource VirtualService support — deliberate choice. Adopted by Buoyant, the project original creators.

Origin

First 1.0 version by Buoyant in 2017 (Scala). Rust 2.0 redesign in 2018. CNCF graduated in 2021.

Example in context

A deployment with linkerd-injection enabled getting automatic mTLS across 5 EDI microservices.

Related terms

• Istio — richer alternative.