Merge pull request #43593 from shaneutt/shaneutt/gateway-api-ga-blog-post

Add Gateway API GA blog post

content/en/blog/_posts/2023-10-31-Gateway-API-GA/index.md

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+---
+layout: blog
+title: "Gateway API v1.0: GA Release"
+date: 2023-10-31T10:00:00-08:00
+slug: gateway-api-ga
+---
+
+**Authors:** Shane Utt (Kong), Nick Young (Isovalent), Rob Scott (Google)
+
+On behalf of Kubernetes SIG Network, we are pleased to announce the v1.0 release of [Gateway
+API](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/)! This release marks a huge milestone for
+this project. Several key APIs are graduating to GA (generally available), while
+other significant features have been added to the Experimental channel.
+
+## What's new
+
+### Graduation to v1
+This release includes the graduation of
+[Gateway](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/api-types/gateway/),
+[GatewayClass](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/api-types/gatewayclass/), and
+[HTTPRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/api-types/httproute/) to v1, which
+means they are now generally available (GA). This API version denotes a high
+level of confidence in the API surface and provides guarantees of backwards
+compatibility. Note that although, the version of these APIs included in the
+Standard channel are now considered stable, that does not mean that they are
+complete. These APIs will continue to receive new features via the Experimental
+channel as they meet graduation criteria. For more information on how all of
+this works, refer to the [Gateway API Versioning
+Policy](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/concepts/versioning/).
+
+### Logo
+Gateway API now has a logo! This logo was designed through a collaborative
+process, and is intended to represent the idea that this is a set of Kubernetes
+APIs for routing traffic both north-south and east-west:
+
+![Gateway API Logo](gateway-api-logo.png "Gateway API Logo")
+
+### CEL Validation
+Historically, Gateway API has bundled a validating webhook as part of installing
+the API. Starting in v1.0, webhook installation is optional and only recommended
+for Kubernetes 1.24. Gateway API now includes
+[CEL](/docs/reference/using-api/cel/) validation rules as
+part of the
+[CRDs](/docs/concepts/extend-kubernetes/api-extension/custom-resources/).
+This new form of validation is supported in Kubernetes 1.25+, and thus the
+validating webhook is no longer required in most installations.
+
+### Standard channel
+This release was primarily focused on ensuring that the existing beta APIs were
+well defined and sufficiently stable to graduate to GA. That led to a variety of
+spec clarifications, as well as some improvements to status to improve the
+overall UX when interacting with Gateway API.
+
+### Experimental channel
+Most of the changes included in this release were limited to the experimental
+channel. These include HTTPRoute timeouts, TLS config from Gateways to backends,
+WebSocket support, Gateway infrastructure labels, and more. Stay tuned for a
+follow up blog post that will cover each of these new features in detail.
+
+### Everything else
+For a full list of the changes included in this release, please refer to the
+[v1.0.0 release
+notes](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api/releases/tag/v0.1.0).
+
+## How we got here
+
+The idea of Gateway API was initially [proposed](https://youtu.be/Ne9UJL6irXY?si=wgtC9w8PMB5ZHil2)
+4 years ago at KubeCon San Diego as the next generation
+of Ingress API. Since then, an incredible community has formed to develop what
+has likely become the most collaborative API in Kubernetes history. Over 170
+people have contributed to this API so far, and that number continues to grow.
+
+A special thank you to the 20+ [community members who agreed to take on an
+official role in the
+project](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api/blob/main/OWNERS_ALIASES),
+providing some time for reviews and sharing the load of maintaining the project!
+
+We especially want to highlight the emeritus maintainers that played a pivotal
+role in the early development of this project:
+
+* [Bowei Du](https://github.com/bowei)
+* [Daneyon Hansen](https://github.com/danehans)
+* [Harry Bagdi](https://github.com/hbagdi)
+
+## Try it out
+
+Unlike other Kubernetes APIs, you don't need to upgrade to the latest version of
+Kubernetes to get the latest version of Gateway API. As long as you're running
+one of the 5 most recent minor versions of Kubernetes (1.24+), you'll be able to
+get up and running with the latest version of Gateway API.
+
+To try out the API, follow our [Getting Started
+guide](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/guides/).
+
+## What's next
+
+This release is just the beginning of a much larger journey for Gateway API, and
+there are still plenty of new features and new ideas in flight for future
+releases of the API.
+
+One of our key goals going forward is to work to stabilize and graduate other
+experimental features of the API. These include [support for service
+mesh](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/concepts/gamma/), additional route types
+([GRPCRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.GRPCRoute),
+[TCPRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.TCPRoute),
+[TLSRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.TLSRoute),
+[UDPRoute](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.UDPRoute)),
+and a variety of experimental features.
+
+We've also been working towards moving
+[ReferenceGrant](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/api-types/referencegrant/) into
+a built-in Kubernetes API that can be used for more than just Gateway API.
+Within Gateway API, we've used this resource to safely enable cross-namespace
+references, and that concept is now being adopted by other SIGs. The new version
+of this API will be owned by SIG Auth and will likely include at least some
+modifications as it migrates to a built-in Kubernetes API.
+
+### Gateway API at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon
+
+At [KubeCon North America
+(Chicago)](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-north-america/)
+and the adjacent [Contributor
+Summit](https://www.kubernetes.dev/events/2023/kcsna/) there are several talks
+related to Gateway API that will go into more detail on these topics. If you're
+attending either of these events this year, considering adding these to your
+schedule.
+
+**Contributor Summit:**
+
+- [Lessons Learned Building a GA API with CRDs](https://sched.co/1Sp9u)
+- [Conformance Profiles: Building a generic conformance test reporting framework](https://sched.co/1Sp9l)
+- [Gateway API: Beyond GA](https://sched.co/1SpA9)
+
+**KubeCon Main Event:**
+
+- [Gateway API: The Most Collaborative API in Kubernetes History Is GA](https://sched.co/1R2qM)
+
+**KubeCon Office Hours:**
+
+Gateway API maintainers will be holding office hours sessions at KubeCon if
+you'd like to discuss or brainstorm any related topics. To get the latest
+updates on these sessions, join the `#sig-network-gateway-api` channel on
+[Kubernetes Slack](https://slack.kubernetes.io/).
+
+## Get involved
+
+We've only barely scratched the surface of what's in flight with Gateway API.
+There are lots of opportunities to get involved and help define the future of
+Kubernetes routing APIs for both Ingress and Mesh.
+
+If this is interesting to you, please [join us in the
+community](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/contributing/) and help us build the
+future of Gateway API together!