Getting Started with Istio Playground

Getting Started with Istio

This playground provides a hands-on environment for learning the basics of Istio.

You'll be working with a simple K3s cluster enhanced with Istio and the popular Bookinfo sample application pre-installed. The playground is a good starting point for developers and operators looking to explore Istio's features in a realistic yet lightweight setup.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• How to install and configure Istio on a K3s cluster
• Deploying the Bookinfo app, a microservices-based sample application
• Setting up and using Istio Gateway API
• Navigating and experimenting with services using a live productpage UI

🛠️ Playground Overview

This environment is made up of three virtual machines:

• dev-machine – Your main workspace with IDE, Kubernetes tools, and Istio CLI installed
• cplane-01 – Control plane node of the K3s cluster
• node-01 – Application node hosting the Bookinfo services

Each machine has a terminal tab for direct access, and the dev-machine also includes:

• IDE: Write or inspect configuration files
• Explorer: Visualize your Kubernetes cluster (via iximiuz/kexp)
• HTTP Port Tab: Access the productpage web UI with a single click.

⚙️ Provisioning Steps

This playground uses initTasks to fully automate the setup process, including downloading Istio, installing it to the cluster, deploying the sample app, and exposing it via a Gateway.

1. Download Istio

curl -L https://istio.io/downloadIstio | ISTIO_VERSION=1.25.0 sh -

echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/istio-1.25.0/bin' >> ~/.bashrc
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/istio-1.25.0/bin

2. Install Istio and Prepare the Cluster

cd istio-1.25.0
istioctl install -f samples/bookinfo/demo-profile-no-gateways.yaml -y

kubectl label namespace default istio-injection=enabled
kubectl kustomize "github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api/config/crd?ref=v1.2.1" \
  | kubectl apply -f -

3. Deploy the Bookinfo Application

kubectl apply -f samples/bookinfo/platform/kube/bookinfo.yaml

4. Set Up the Istio Gateway

kubectl apply -f samples/bookinfo/gateway-api/bookinfo-gateway.yaml
kubectl wait --for=condition=programmed gtw bookinfo-gateway

Then expose the root path (/) to the productpage with an extra HTTPRoute manifest:

apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
  name: bookinfo-root
spec:
  parentRefs:
  - name: bookinfo-gateway
  rules:
  - matches:
    - path:
        type: PathPrefix
        value: /
    backendRefs:
    - name: productpage
      port: 9080

🚀 How to Use the Playground

• Use the IDE tab to explore and edit configuration files.
• Use the Explorer tab to inspect the cluster and Istio resources.
• Open the HTTP port tab named productpage to view the running Bookinfo application.
• Terminals are provided for each node, but most commands will be run from the dev-machine.

This playground is open to everyone. Ideal for workshops, self-paced labs, and quick experimentation with Istio and service mesh fundamentals.