The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source Maintaining the massive success of Envoy (Interview)
Oct 30, 2020
Matt Klein, creator and maintainer of Envoy at Lyft, shares insights on the unexpected success of this edge proxy designed for cloud-native applications. He discusses the shift in Lyft's approach to open source and why he chose not to launch Envoy as a commercial venture. The conversation highlights the importance of community engagement, the challenges of maintaining open source projects, and the balance between an open-source ethos and commercial pressures in the tech landscape.
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Envoy's Origin
- Envoy, a proxy designed for cloud-native applications, was created at Lyft.
- It initially replaced load balancers, providing better observability and evolving into a service mesh.
Envoy's Distinction
- Envoy's key difference is its dynamic configuration system, unlike traditional proxies.
- Built for elastic cloud environments, it adapts to changes without reloading, crucial for modern architectures.
Naive Open-Sourcing
- Open-sourcing Envoy wasn't initially planned but became a goal after its success at Lyft.
- Early open-sourcing efforts were naive, underestimating the commitment required for a successful project.