Kiali and MCP: Bringing AI-native observability to Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh

The model context protocol (MCP) server for Kubernetes is moving toward technology preview (TP), and it’s bringing a powerhouse integration with it: the Kiali toolset. By integrating Kiali into the MCP server, we are bridging the gap between large language models (LLM) and your service mesh. This means your AI assistant doesn’t just “talk” about your cluster, it can now visualize traffic, diagnose latency, and manage Istio configurations using the same trusted logic that powers the Kiali UI.Why Kiali in MCP?While standard Kubernetes tools handle pods and services, the Kiali toolset provides