Edge Lite — Local Evaluation
Edge Lite is a Docker-first private-environment runtime for evaluating Zen Mesh locally before moving to managed or Kubernetes deployments. Use it to test the delivery flow, verify configuration, and experiment with provider templates — no cluster required.
The Problem
Evaluating webhook infrastructure typically requires standing up infrastructure — load balancers, ingress controllers, TLS termination, and often a Kubernetes cluster — before you can run a single test. Most commercial webhook tools assume your evaluation environment has a public endpoint or can install system-level dependencies.
Why This Is Hard
If you operate behind a firewall or on a developer workstation, you don't want to open inbound ports just to evaluate a tool. You also don't want to commit to a full Kubernetes deployment before you know whether the tool meets your needs. Docker-first evaluation reduces this barrier to a single command.
How Zen Mesh Helps
Edge Lite runs as a single Docker container that establishes an outbound connection to Zen Mesh. You create a template, endpoint, and target through the Zen Mesh UI or CLI, and send test webhooks. The Edge runtime handles the delivery path — no firewall changes, no Kubernetes, no kernel modules.
Try It
docker run zen-edge-lite Then point a test webhook at your Zen Mesh endpoint and watch it arrive at your local service. The full quick-start guide walks through creating a Stripe test event, configuring a target, and verifying the delivery chain. See the Quick Start for step-by-step instructions.
Runtime Path
Select a provider template or create a custom endpoint in the Zen Mesh Registry.
Apply template defaults on the provider you're testing (Stripe, GitHub, custom HTTP).
Run docker run zen-edge-lite — establishes the outbound tunnel automatically.
Create a flow binding endpoint to your local service (e.g., localhost:8080/webhook).
Inspect the delivery receipt to confirm the test webhook arrived successfully.
When to Move to Managed or Kubernetes
After validating the delivery path with Edge Lite, transition to a managed deployment when you need: higher throughput, HA/DR, multi-team governance, or production-level observability. The same configuration (templates, blueprints, flows) works across both runtimes — no need to rebuild when you migrate.
Security & Evidence
Edge Lite uses the same mTLS, SPIFFE/SPIRE, and HMAC data-plane path as the managed runtime. Each delivery produces a tamper-evident receipt. See Security and Evidence for scope and maturity.
Current Status
Edge Lite is a Docker-first evaluation runtime — not a production deployment target. It supports the local delivery flow, configuration testing, and provider template experimentation. For production workloads, use a managed or Kubernetes deployment. Individual capabilities carry per-item status documented in the Current Status page.
Try Edge Lite now
Designed for fast local setup. Free Forever tier included.