API platform Kong has released a new open source project called Kuma. Based on the popular open source Envoy proxy, Kuma is a universal control plane that addresses limitations of first-generation service mesh technologies by enabling management of any service on the network.

Kuma runs on Kubernetes, containers, virtual machines, bare metal and other legacy environment. It comprises a fast data plane and an advanced control plane that makes it quite easier to use. By covering the services across the entire organization, Kuma will enable greater return on current investment and drive greater value from a service mesh.

Kuma is said to automate the process of securing the underlying network, ensuring reliability and making everything observable without having to change any code. It does that for any platform – not only for greenfield or Kubernetes-oriented applications, enabling a more pragmatic cloud native journey within the organization.

Among key features are software-defined security as Kuma enables mTLS for all L4 traffic. Permissions can also be easily set to ensure appropriate access control. It also enables users to implement tracing and logging, allowing them to better analyze metrics for rapid debugging. Moreover, Kuma provides fine-grained traffic control capabilities such as circuit breakers and health checks to enhance L4 routing.

Click here to download Kuma.