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Gateway Classes

kgateway vs kgateway-waypoint GatewayClasses

kgateway

  • Purpose: Standard class for managing Gateway API ingress traffic
  • Use case: Regular ingress/gateway functionality for external traffic routing
  • Description: "Standard class for managing Gateway API ingress traffic"

kgateway-waypoint

  • Purpose: Specialized class for Istio ambient mesh waypoint proxies
  • Use case: Service mesh integration with Istio ambient mode
  • Description: "Specialized class for Istio ambient mesh waypoint proxies"
  • Special annotation: ambient.istio.io/waypoint-inbound-binding: PROXY/15088 - indicates integration with Istio ambient mesh waypoint functionality

Comparison

Common characteristics

  • Both use the same controller: kgateway.dev/kgateway
  • Both are managed by the same kgateway installation
  • Both have Accepted and SupportedVersion conditions

The main difference is that kgateway-waypoint is specifically designed for Istio service mesh ambient mode waypoint proxy functionality, while kgateway is for standard ingress traffic routing.