Envoy 1.15: Programmable Data Plane Progress

Introduction

Released on October 13, 2020, Envoy 1.15 continues the proxy’s rapid iteration. WebAssembly filter support stabilizes, QUIC listeners enter preview, and adaptive concurrency graduates to help operators fine-tune mesh performance.

WebAssembly (Wasm) Filters Stabilize

• ABI stabilization allows teams to compile filters once and run them across Envoy versions.
• Proxy-Wasm SDKs for C++, Rust, AssemblyScript, and Go see major updates.
• WASM sandbox resource limits protect proxies from runaway filters.

Transport Evolution

1. QUIC Listener Preview opens the door to HTTP/3 edge support, offering faster mobile and internet-facing experiences.
2. Adaptive Concurrency GA automatically tunes concurrency limits using latency feedback, preventing overload.
3. TCP proxy enhancements add per-connection buffer watermark metrics for granular tuning.

Operations & Ecosystem

• Incremental xDS enhancements reduce control-plane CPU when fleets update small subsets of clusters.
• Secret Discovery Service (SDS) improvements smooth TLS certificate rotation with fewer connection resets.
• Istio 1.7, Consul 1.9, and Kuma 1.0 all adopt Envoy 1.15, validating ecosystem readiness.

Getting Started

docker run envoyproxy/envoy:v1.15.0 --version

Enable QUIC in Istio (preview):

meshConfig:
  accessLogFile: /dev/stdout
  defaultConfig:
    discoveryAddress: istiod.istio-system.svc:15012
    gatewayTopology:
      forwardClientCertDetails: SANITIZE
    envoyAccessLogService:
      address: quic-als.istio-system:8080

Summary

Envoy 1.15 showcases a stable platform for custom policy logic while preparing for next-gen transports like HTTP/3.