egress gateway
also: egress controller, outbound gateway, exit gateway
A network gateway that controls and manages outbound traffic leaving a network or system to external networks, often enforcing security policies and routing rules.
An egress gateway is a network node or service that serves as the exit point for traffic leaving your local network or cluster. It inspects, filters, and routes outbound connections according to defined policies, acting as a security and control boundary.
In Kubernetes and containerized environments, egress gateways are commonly used to manage outbound traffic from pods or services. For example, a service mesh like Istio can deploy an egress gateway to route all outbound traffic through a single controlled point, enabling fine-grained access control and traffic monitoring.
A practical example: an organization might configure an egress gateway to ensure all outbound internet traffic from its data center passes through approved proxy servers, logging all connections and blocking access to unauthorized external services.