Future of Istio - Sidecar, Sidecarless or Both?

This talk explores the future direction of Istio, focusing on the evolution from traditional sidecar proxies to the new ambient architecture. It delves into the challenges of the sidecar model, such as operational complexity and resource overhead, and introduces the ambient mesh solution with its Z Tunnel and Waypoint proxies. The discussion covers how ambient mesh aims to simplify operations, reduce total cost of ownership, and enhance performance, while also addressing security implications and the coexistence of sidecar and sidecarless approaches for a flexible migration path.