If I have an architecture in AWS with many different microservices, each in their own AWS ECS cluster and an AWS application load balancer in front of each one, would I still need consul or linkerd?
Conversely, if I don't use an AWS application load balancer, would I be required to use something like consul or linkerd to handle the load balancing as the ECS clusters scale up/down?
I'm trying to understand whether these all are complementary services or whether they are competing services.
Meshes are really designed to mediate communications within the cluster. Linkerd could secure communications across this kind of multicluster, but to be candid I find myself wondering if you'd be better served with all the microservices in the same cluster? That would let you use an API gateway and service mesh to secure everything and provide better reliability and observability, and save you money on LBs.
(Full disclosure: I have ties to Linkerd and to Emissary-ingress, so I'm a touch biased. :) )