2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
---
layout: docs
2022-09-13 21:04:13 +00:00
page_title: Configuration Entry Overview
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
description: >-
2022-09-16 15:28:32 +00:00
Configuration entries define service mesh behaviors in order to secure and manage traffic. Learn about Consul’ s different config entry kinds and get links to configuration reference pages.
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
---
2022-09-13 21:04:13 +00:00
# Configuration Entry Overview
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
2023-05-05 17:41:40 +00:00
Configuration entries can be used to configure the behavior of Consul service mesh.
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
The following configuration entries are supported:
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Ingress Gateway](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/ingress-gateway) - defines the
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
configuration for an ingress gateway
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Mesh](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/mesh) - controls
2021-05-04 21:32:07 +00:00
mesh-wide configuration that applies across namespaces and federated datacenters.
2021-12-17 04:20:11 +00:00
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Exported Services](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/exported-services) - enables
2022-12-07 18:08:24 +00:00
Consul to export service instances to other peers or to other admin partitions local or remote to the datacenter.
2021-05-04 21:32:07 +00:00
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Proxy Defaults](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/proxy-defaults) - controls
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
proxy configuration
2023-06-12 20:06:57 +00:00
- [Sameness Group](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/sameness-group) - defines partitions and cluster peers with identical services
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Service Defaults](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/service-defaults) - configures
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
defaults for all the instances of a given service
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Service Intentions](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/service-intentions) - defines
the [intentions](/consul/docs/connect/intentions) for a destination service
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Service Resolver](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/service-resolver) - matches
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
service instances with a specific Connect upstream discovery requests
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Service Router](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/service-router) - defines
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
where to send layer 7 traffic based on the HTTP route
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Service Splitter](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/service-splitter) - defines
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
how to divide requests for a single HTTP route based on percentages
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
- [Terminating Gateway](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/terminating-gateway) - defines the
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
services associated with terminating gateway
## Managing Configuration Entries
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
See [Agent - Config Entries](/consul/docs/agent/config-entries).
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
## Using Configuration Entries For Service Defaults
Outside of Kubernetes, when the agent is
2023-01-25 16:52:43 +00:00
[configured](/consul/docs/agent/config/config-files#enable_central_service_config) to enable
2021-01-13 20:48:48 +00:00
central service configurations, it will look for service configuration defaults
that match a registering service instance. If it finds any, the agent will merge
those defaults with the service instance configuration. This allows for things
like service protocol or proxy configuration to be defined globally and
inherited by any affected service registrations.