Calico

Calico is a versatile network and network security solution designed for Kubernetes environments. It provides a robust framework for managing and securing network traffic between pods within a cluster. Calico supports various networking options, including Azure CNI and Kubenet, making it compatible with both Linux and Windows environments.

One of Calico's key features is its extended policy model, which includes Global Network Policy, Global Network Set, and Host Endpoint. These features allow for advanced network management and security configurations. Calico is widely used in cloud platforms like Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Amazon Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes (EKS), where it enhances network policy enforcement and observability.

Calico integrates well with existing Container Network Interface (CNI) solutions, making it a flexible choice for managing complex network topologies in Kubernetes clusters. Its ability to manage cross-nodepool communication and support multi-nodepool environments adds to its utility in distributed computing scenarios. Overall, Calico offers a comprehensive network management solution for Kubernetes, focusing on security, flexibility, and scalability.