Use case

Control access with Consul API Gateway

The API gateway enables external network clients to access applications and services running in a Consul service mesh.

Challenge

Consistently control access to service mesh

As use of Consul's service mesh continues to grow, customers are looking for a single control plane to manage both service-to-service traffic (east/west) and inbound requests from external clients (north/south). Consul does offer integrations with many third-party API gateway products, but some customers may prefer a single solution that is directly integrated into their service mesh.

Solution

Consul API Gateway to control access to services

The Consul API Gateway detects inbound requests to mesh-based applications, presents those clients with a verifiable certificate from a trusted authority, and facilitates the necessary secure connections to fulfill the requests. By combining the Consul API Gateway with Consul's service mesh, users gain a single control plane that makes it easier to consistently manage both east-west and north-south traffic.

The API gateway enables external network clients to access applications and services running in a Consul service mesh.

Introduction to HashiCorp Consul

HashiCorp Co-Founder and CTO Armon Dadgar gives a whiteboard overview of HashiCorp Consul, a service networking solution to connect, configure, and secure services in dynamic infrastructure.