Skupper V2 Overview and Concept Model
Skupper is an open-source project that creates Virtual Application Networks (VANs) connecting services across Kubernetes clusters, Linux hosts, Docker, and Podman — without VPNs or firewall rules.
Concept Groups
Skupper V2 organizes its model into four groups:
| Group |
Concepts |
| Sites |
Site, Workload, Platform |
| Networks |
Network, Link, Access Token |
| Services |
Listener, Connector, MultiKeyListener, Routing Key |
| Applications |
Application, Component |
Sites
| Concept |
Description |
| Site |
A place where workloads run. Each site = one platform namespace. Multiple sites per platform possible. |
| Workload |
A set of processes running on a platform (e.g., K8s Deployment, systemd service). |
| Platform |
A system for running workloads: Kubernetes, Docker, Podman, or Linux (systemd). |
Networks
| Concept |
Description |
| Network |
A set of sites joined by links — the application network. |
| Link |
A secure (mTLS) channel for communication between sites. Links are transport; app connections ride on top. |
| Access Token |
A short-lived credential for securely creating links between sites. |
Services
| Concept |
Description |
| Listener |
Binds a local host:port to connectors in remote sites. Consumer-side proxy. |
| Connector |
Binds a local workload to listeners in remote sites. Provider-side proxy. |
| Routing Key |
String identifier matching listeners to connectors across the network. |
| MultiKeyListener |
Single endpoint mapping to multiple routing keys with weighted or priority strategies. |
Applications
| Concept |
Description |
| Application |
A set of components working together — a distributed app. |
| Component |
A logical part of an application, implemented by workloads in different locations. |
Key V2 Changes from V1
| Aspect |
V1 |
V2 |
| Transport |
Apache Qpid Dispatch Router (AMQP) |
Custom routing fabric |
| Configuration |
CLI-driven, annotations |
CRD-based (YAML) + CLI + System YAML |
| Non-K8s support |
Limited |
First-class System CLI for Linux/Podman/Docker |
| Service model |
skupper expose |
Explicit Listener + Connector + Routing Key |
| Security |
Token-based linking |
Formalized AccessGrant/AccessToken resources |