Topology-aware routing: balancing cost savings and reliability, with William Morgan | KubeFM

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — get started on your Kubernetes journey through comprehensive online, in-person or remote training. https://learnk8s.io/training === In this episode, *William Morgan*, CEO of *Buoyant*, explores the complex trade-offs between cost optimization and reliability in Kubernetes networking. The discussion focuses on *Topology-aware routing* and why its implementation might not be the silver bullet for managing cross-zone traffic costs. William shares practical insights from real-world implementations and explains why understanding these trade-offs is crucial for platform teams managing multi-zone Kubernetes clusters. You will learn: - How *Topology-aware routing* attempts to reduce cross-zone traffic costs but can compromise reliability by limiting inter-zone communication - Why *Layer 7 load balancing* offers better traffic management through protocol awareness compared to topology-aware routing's Layer 4 approach - How *HAZL (High Availability Zonal Load Balancing)* provides a more nuanced solution by balancing cost savings with reliability guarantees through intelligent traffic routing Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://ku.bz/CBwn51pl- === Interested in sponsoring a KubeFM episode? https://kube.fm/sponsorships === CHAPTERS ========= 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Sponsor 01:25 Emerging tools in the Kubernetes ecosystem 02:28 Advice for open source CEOs 04:17 Understanding topology-aware routing and cost implications 11:29 Managing failures and dependencies in topology-aware routing 22:11 Load balancing approaches and networking challenges 25:17 Developer vs operator perspectives in Kubernetes 31:15 Future of topology-aware routing 33:33 Personal insights and AI in Kubernetes 39:11 Common networking mistakes and future developments 42:00 What's next for William and Linkerd LISTEN ON ========= - Apple Podcast https://kube.fm/apple - Spotify https://kube.fm/spotify - Amazon Music https://kube.fm/amazon - Overcast https://kube.fm/overcast - Pocket casts https://kube.fm/pocket-casts - Deezer https://kube.fm/deezer