Introduction to AWS Security Services – Microsoft AWS

Service mesh

In a microservices architecture, a service mesh serves as a dedicated infrastructure layer that abstracts the complexity of service-to-service communication into a configurable infrastructure layer. It provides a range of functionalities, from load balancing and traffic routing to security and observability. This allows developers to focus on business logic while operators can concentrate on network configuration, security, and observability without altering the application code.

AWS App Mesh works well with container services and platforms such as ECS, EKS, and Kubernetes, providing a unified layer that brings together various AWS services and features. It offers a cohesive approach to securing service-to-service communication across multiple types of computing environments:

• mTLS support: Ensures secure service-to-service communication through mutual authentication
• Fine-grained access control: Allows the definition of detailed access control policies for enhanced security
• Circuit breaking: Implements advanced security measures to prevent cascading failures and gracefully manages overload conditions that could lead to DoS
• AWS CloudWatch integration: Provides comprehensive metrics and logs for monitoring the health and performance of services, crucial for auditing and compliance
• AWS X-Ray integration: Offers the capability to trace requests across the service mesh, providing valuable insights into latencies and aiding in the optimization of service performance

While AWS App Mesh is a fully managed service mesh that integrates seamlessly with AWS services, there are also alternative solutions for those who may not be entirely within the AWS ecosystem. Istio and Linkerd are alternatives that offer similar functionalities and can be integrated into Kubernetes-based environments. By incorporating a service mesh functionality into your microservices architecture, you gain a powerful tool for enhancing security, simplifying management, and improving observability in service-to-service communication.