F5 BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition
Trusted BIG-IP. Built for Kubernetes.
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition extends BIG-IP to Kubernetes through BIG-IP CNFs, BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes, and BIG-IP eBPF Observability, delivering traffic management, security, infrastructure services, and observability for cloud-native environments.
The cloud-native deployment model for BIG-IP
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition extends the BIG-IP into Kubernetes through modular cloud-native technologies: BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes for application delivery and Kubernetes networking, BIG-IP Cloud-Native Network Functions for traffic management, security, and infrastructure services, and BIG-IP eBPF Observability for deep workload and network visibility.
Unified by the BIG-IP operating model. Cloud-Native Edition helps teams reduce complexity, automate at scale, and maintain security and visibility across every application and environment.
Unlike standalone Kubernetes tools networking or point security product tools, BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition brings these capabilities together through a consistent BIG-IP operating model into Kubernetes, helping teams reduce complexity, simplify operations, and modernize without fragmenting policy, visibility, or management.
Ready for modern workload
Supports enterprise applications, AI infrastructure, telco workloads,, and edge deployments.
Built to scale
Run the same BIG-IP services across enterprise, AI, edge, and service provider environments.
Modernize with confidence
Bring trusted BIG-IP services to Kubernetes without disrupting operations.
Explore the benefits of F5 BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition
Cloud-native
Modernize without compromise
Move critical BIG-IP services to Kubernetes without sacrificing the performance, security, or reliability customers expect. Built specifically for Kubernetes, BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition brings together Kubernetes-native application delivery, cloud-native network functions, and eBPF-powered observability with proven scale, automation, and simplified lifecycle management.
Performance
Higher performance, lower cost
Optimize infrastructure utilization across CPUs, GPUs, and DPUs for select services with intelligent traffic management, hardware acceleration, and programmable data planes. From AI factories to 5G core networks, Cloud-Native Edition delivers low latency, high throughput, and efficient resource utilization that helps organizations scale demanding workloads without unnecessary infrastructure costs.
Security
Built–in security everywhere
Protect application, APIs, and network traffic with BIG-IP Cloud-Native Network Functions for firewall, DDoS protection, CGNAT, DNS, and policy enforcement, complemented by eBPF Observability for deep workload and network visibility. Consistent security policies across distributed Kubernetes environments improve visibility, reduce operational complexity, and strengthen zero trust architectures.
Flexibility
Deploy and operate anywhere
Choose the deployment model that fits your infrastructure. Deploy Cloud-Native Edition on Kubernetes using CPUs or NVIDIA BlueField DPUs, while seamlessly integrating with existing BIG-IP hardware and Virtual Editions as needed. This flexibility allows organizations to modernize at their own pace while protecting existing investments.
Core capabilities
Application delivery
Advanced L4-L7 traffic management for Kubernetes
API gateway
Secure, govern, and manage API traffic
Network security
Firewall, DDoS, IPS, and zero trust protection
AI infrastructure
Optimize AI inference and GPU infrastructure
Kubernetes networking
Ingress, Gateway API, service mesh, and egress
Service Provider
Cloud-native networking for 4G, 5G, and 6G
Observability
eBPF visibility, telemetry, and analytics
Infrastructure networking
DNS, CGNAT, routing, and infrastructure services
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition provides consistent services across Kubernetes clusters, clouds, and environments.
Deploy across hybrid and multicloud environments
Kubernetes clusters
Deployable as Kubernetes-native services across on-premises, cloud, and edge clusters with automated lifecycle management.
Public cloud
Run cloud-native BIG-IP services on managed Kubernetes platforms including Amazon EKS, Azure AKS, Google GKE, and Red Hat OpenShift.
AI infrastructure
For select services accelerate with supported DPUs, enabling high-performance application delivery, security, and traffic management for AI factories.
Telco Cloud
Deploy cloud-native network functions for mobile core, broadband, cable, and edge networks with carrier-grade scalability and automation.
Hybrid and multicloud environments
Deploy BIG-IP consistently across on-premises, public cloud, and Kubernetes environments while maintaining common traffic management, security, policies, and operations.
Enterprise data centers
Deliver application networking and security for modern enterprise applications running on private cloud and Kubernetes platforms.
Edge computing
Extend BIG-IP services closer to users, devices, and applications to reduce latency and improve performance across distributed environments.
Multi-cluster operations
Manage traffic management, security, and application delivery consistently across multiple Kubernetes clusters, clouds, and geographic regions.
Resources
News and blogs
Products
Ebooks and White papers
Technical resources
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
Get started with BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
What’s new in the latest release
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
Deploy proven reference architectures
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
Explore implementation guides
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
Build your cloud-native expertise
Validated cloud-native technology ecosystem
Built on open standards and trusted integrations
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition is built on open standards and integrates with leading Kubernetes platforms, cloud providers, and cloud-native technologies. As a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Gold Member, F5 actively contributes to the cloud-native community and helps advance open-source Kubernetes innovation.
Through validated technology alliances and the BIG-IP Cloud-Native Certification Program, customers can deploy confidently across enterprise, public cloud, private cloud, AI infrastructure, and service provider environments while reducing deployment risk and accelerating production readiness.
FAQs
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition is the Kubernetes-native deployment model for BIG-IP. It brings together BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes, BIG-IP Cloud-Native Network Functions, and BIG-IP eBPF Observability to provide application delivery, networking, security, infrastructure services, and observability for Kubernetes environments.
BIG-IP Virtual Edition runs as virtual machines on hypervisors or cloud infrastructure, while BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition runs as containerized services on Kubernetes. Organizations can choose the deployment model that best fits their infrastructure needs while maintaining consistent BIG-IP operational model, policies, and services across Hardware, Virtual Edition, and Cloud-Native Edition.
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition includes BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes, BIG-IP Cloud-Native Network Functions—including capabilities such as AFM, DNS, CGNAT, and PEM—and BIG-IP eBPF Observability. Together, they provide Kubernetes-native application delivery, networking, security, infrastructure services, and observability.
BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition supports leading Kubernetes distributions and managed Kubernetes services, including Red Hat OpenShift, Amazon EKS, Microsoft Azure AKS, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and upstream Kubernetes deployments.
BIG-IP supports three deployment models: Hardware, BIG-IP Virtual Edition, and BIG-IP Cloud-Native Edition. This flexibility allows organizations to deploy BIG-IP services wherever applications and workloads run.
Choose BIG-IP Hardware for dedicated, high-performance environments, BIG-IP Virtual Edition for virtualized and cloud deployments, and Cloud-Native Edition for Kubernetes-native environments that require containerized traffic management, security, and application delivery services.
No. BIG-IP Hardware, Virtual Edition, and Cloud-Native Edition are three deployment models for BIG-IP. They are complementary, allowing organizations to choose the right model for each workload while maintaining consistent application delivery, traffic management, and security services across their environment