extern/zrok
1
1
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/openziti/zrok.git synced 2024-12-23 15:18:52 +01:00
Code Issues Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

introducing zrok; revision

Browse Source
This commit is contained in:
Michael Quigley 2023-01-27 09:42:16 -05:00
parent 6b99072edc
commit e125b8963d
No known key found for this signature in database
GPG Key ID: 9B60314A9DD20A62
1 changed files with 12 additions and 10 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

22
website/blog/introducing_zrok.md
View File

@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
# Introducing zrok
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to work on many interesting projects throughout my career. I was one of the original developers who broke ground on the [OpenZiti](https://github.com/openziti/ziti) project back in 2017. Most of my work on OpenZiti centered on the [fabric](https://github.com/openziti/fabric), data and control plane design, and designing abstractions that would support a lot of what became the "edge" layers. It's been quite exciting to watch OpenZiti blossom and grow.
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to work on many interesting projects throughout my career. I was one of the original developers who broke ground on the [OpenZiti](https://github.com/openziti/ziti) project back in 2017. Most of my work on OpenZiti centered on the [fabric](https://github.com/openziti/fabric), data and control plane design, and designing abstractions that would support a lot of what became the "edge" layers. It's been quite exciting to watch OpenZiti blossom and grow over the years.
For the last six months, I've had the opportunity to re-approach the world of zero-trust and next-generation networking from the other side of the stack. Instead of working in the lowest layers of protocols and abstractions, I'm working from the perspective of end users and enabling an amazing end-user experience. I'm excited to introduce you to a new set of tools designed to empower end users at the network edge to seamlessly and transparently share resources. Imagine network sharing that is equally secure and transparent.
For the last six months, I've had the opportunity to re-approach the world of zero-trust and next-generation networking from the other side of the stack. Instead of working in the lowest layers of protocols and abstractions, I'm working from the perspective of usability and enabling an amazing end-user experience. I'm excited to introduce you to a new set of tools designed to empower users at the network edge to seamlessly and transparently share resources. Imagine network sharing that is equally secure and transparent.
This new project is called... `zrok`.
`zrok` focuses on streamlining sharing for both developers and end users alike. `zrok` takes inspiration from several other offerings that focus on streamlining developer endpoint sharing. Starting from that recipe, `zrok` adds powerful capabilities that are made possible by building on the foundation provided by OpenZiti.
`zrok` focuses on streamlining sharing for both developers and less technical users alike. `zrok` takes inspiration from several other offerings that focus on streamlining developer endpoint sharing. Starting from that recipe, `zrok` adds powerful capabilities that are made possible by building on the foundation provided by OpenZiti.
Here are some of the things that make `zrok` different...
@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ Here are some of the things that make `zrok` different...
Most of the offerings in this space allow you to easily create "tunnels" that allow outbound-only access to local HTTP resources without punching any holes in a firewall. These tools make these kinds of tunnels effortless to create; with a single command, you've got a public URL that you can share to allow access to your endpoint.
`zrok` expands on this model by supporting something that we're calling "private sharing". You'll share your resources using a single command, but your resources will be privately shared on an OpenZiti network, where they can be securely accessed with a single `zrok` command by other users.
`zrok` expands on this model by supporting something that we're calling "private sharing". Private sharing allows you to share securely on the zero-trust overlay network, without exposing anything to the public internet. You're still sharing with a single command, but your resources are only available to other `zrok` users through the zero-trust overlay network.
In this model, no user ever has to enable any inbound access from untrusted users. All network access is handled through a secure, zero-trust overlay network. And to make it even simpler, `zrok` handles all of the control plane management of the overlay network, deeply simplifying the experience. This secure sharing model remains the single-command affair that users have come to expect.
In this model, no user ever has to enable any inbound access. All network access is handled through the secure, zero-trust overlay network. `zrok` handles all of the control plane management of the overlay network, deeply simplifying the experience. This secure sharing model remains the single-command affair that users have come to expect.
And if you want public sharing, `zrok` has that also. Our private sharing modes are an additional capability that `zrok` adds to the recipe. `zrok` supports fleets of "public frontends" that can be geographically deployed wherever your internet users need them.
## Files; Repositories; Video... Decentralized
@ -24,17 +26,17 @@ Most of the other offerings in this space are focused on sharing low-level netwo
`zrok` also provides a frictionless experience for sharing these kinds of network resources. However, we're taking it a step further... `zrok` will also make this kind of frictionless, decentralized sharing possible for files, software repositories, video streams, and other kinds of resources we haven't even thought of yet.
Combine this kind of resource sharing with our private sharing model, and you've got the recipe for very powerful decentralized services. Imagine using `zrok` as a decentralized, distributed replacement for large centralized file-sharing platforms. Or use it as a replacement for large, centralized video streaming platforms.
Combine this kind of resource sharing with our private peer-to-peer capabilities, and you've got the recipe for very powerful decentralized services. Imagine using `zrok` as a decentralized, distributed replacement for large centralized file-sharing platforms. Or use it as a replacement for large, centralized video streaming platforms.
We're still just getting started on building out these aspects of `zrok`. But as of this writing, `zrok` already provides built-in single-command file sharing. Combine this with private sharing and you can see this powerful model in action today.
We're still just getting started on building out these aspects of `zrok`. `zrok` already provides built-in single-command file sharing. You can [get started](https://github.com/openziti/zrok/blob/main/docs/v0.3_getting_started/getting_started.md) using these powerful tools today!
## Production zrok
[NetFoundry](https://netfoundry.io) is offering [zrok.io](https://zrok.io), a managed `zrok` service instance you can use to try out `zrok` and even run small production workloads. This service is currently in limited beta and is available through an invitation process. Visit [zrok.io](https://zrok.io) for details about requesting an invite.
[NetFoundry](https://netfoundry.io) is offering [zrok.io](https://zrok.io), a managed `zrok` service instance you can use to try out `zrok` and run small production workloads. This service is currently in limited beta and is available through an invitation process. Visit [zrok.io](https://zrok.io) for details about requesting an invite.
Once `zrok` and `zrok.io` are out of beta, we'll be opening it up to the public.
Once `zrok` and `zrok.io` are out of beta, we'll be opening this service up to the public.
`zrok.io` runs on top of the open-source version of `zrok`. We're building out a production environment to make sure we can properly operationalize it, but it's the same code you can run in your own environments.
`zrok.io` runs on top of the open-source version of `zrok`. We're building on top of the same open-source codebase that's [available](https://github.com/openziti/zrok) today.
## Open-Source; Self-Host