Load Balancing

Skipper – HTTP router and reverse proxy for service composition

Skipper is an HTTP router and reverse proxy for service composition.

It’s designed to handle very large numbers of routes with detailed lookup conditions and flexible request-flow augmentation using filters. Skipper can be used as a standalone proxy, as a Kubernetes Ingress controller, or as a library for building custom routing components.

The software routes requests by matching properties such as path, method, host, headers, and other request attributes. Each route can define its own filter chain, allowing requests and responses to be modified independently. Skipper supports streaming, runtime route updates, circuit breakers, custom predicates, custom filters, and multiple configuration sources including Kubernetes, etcd, static files, route strings, and custom data clients.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • HTTP router and reverse proxy for service composition.
  • Matches routes using request properties such as path, method, host, and headers.
  • Per-route filters for modifying requests and responses.
  • Streams incoming requests and backend responses simultaneously.
  • Updates routing rules without downtime.
  • Supports Kubernetes Ingress, etcd, static files, route strings, and custom data sources.
  • Can act as a final endpoint for static files or diagnostic mock backends.
  • Includes circuit breaker support for backend hosts.
  • Extensible with custom filters, predicates, and configuration sources.

Website: https://github.com/zalando/skipper
Support:
Developer: Zalando
License: MIT License

Skipper is written in Go. Learn Go with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


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