Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Introducing Amazon VPC Lattice: Simplifying app networking (NET215)

Summary

Amazon VPC Lattice is a new service launched in preview to simplify service-to-service communication for developers and admins.
It addresses the complexity of networking in modern applications, particularly those using microservices across multiple VPCs and accounts.
VPC Lattice offers a unified solution for service discovery, load balancing, authentication, authorization, and observability.
It integrates with AWS IAM for authentication and authorization, providing strong security without the need for developers to manage networking details.
The service is designed to work consistently across various compute platforms, including instances, containers, and serverless.
VPC Lattice includes four key components: services, service networks, auth policy, and service directory.
It allows for the creation of service networks that can be shared across accounts and VPCs, defining a new application layer boundary.
The service is fully managed and built into the VPC infrastructure, not requiring any agents or sidecar proxies.
VPC Lattice is currently in preview, and interested parties can sign up on the AWS website.

VPC Lattice aims to reduce the tension between developers and admins by providing a service that meets both their needs without compromising security or agility.
The service is a response to the challenges of modern application architectures, where services are distributed across multiple VPCs and accounts, leading to increased networking complexity.
By integrating with AWS IAM, VPC Lattice leverages a familiar and trusted system for authentication and authorization, simplifying secrets management.
The service supports a defense-in-depth strategy by offering both network and application layer controls.
VPC Lattice's integration with the Kubernetes Gateway API indicates AWS's commitment to supporting Kubernetes users and providing a seamless experience for cluster management.
The concept of "tiny bubbles" suggests a best practice for using VPC Lattice, where services are isolated in their own VPCs and accounts, and selectively shared and connected through service networks.
VPC Lattice's preview status means that it is still under development, and AWS is likely seeking feedback to refine the service before a full launch.