linkerd-patterns

Linkerd provides automatic mutual TLS by injecting lightweight proxies into your pods. Install Linkerd, inject the proxy sidecar into your namespace, and Linkerd handles certificate rotation and encrypted communication between all meshed services without application changes.

Yes, Linkerd's TrafficSplit resource enables gradual traffic shifting between service versions. Define traffic percentages in TrafficSplit manifests to route traffic incrementally, monitor per-route metrics via ServiceProfile, and safely validate canary deployments before full rollout.

Linkerd is designed for minimal resource overhead and operational simplicity compared to heavier alternatives. It provides automatic mTLS, per-route observability, and traffic management without complex sidecars, making it ideal for teams prioritizing lightweight, secure service communication.

ServiceProfile resources in Linkerd enable per-route metrics, retries, and timeouts for each service. Define routes in ServiceProfile, and Linkerd automatically collects latency, error rates, and throughput by route, accessible through the viz extension dashboard.

ServerAuthorization and HTTPRoute policies enable fine-grained access control between services in Linkerd. Apply policy templates to define who can call each service and which routes are permitted, enforcing security policies at the mesh level.

Ensure the Linkerd CLI is installed and in your PATH. Run `linkerd check --pre` to validate cluster readiness, then install CRDs and the control plane. Optional viz extension adds a dashboard for observability and metrics visualization.