AI-aware traffic management With F5 Big-ip Next for Kubernetes

Intelligence gives you efficiency, but programmability gives you control. With enhanced programmability via F5 iRules on BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes 2.1, we're putting customers in the driver's seat so they can adapt instantly instead of waiting for the next feature release.

Today that means access to capabilities like LLM routing (steering requests across models and versions in real time), token governance (enforcing quotas and billing directly in the data path), and MCP traffic management (scaling and securing Model Context Protocol traffic between AI agents).

And this is just the beginning. The real value of programmability lies in its flexibility: as new models, service level agreements, and compliance requirements emerge, providers can craft their own policies without being limited to out-of-the-box features.

The combination of intelligence and programmability in BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes 2.1 isn't just about performance-it's designed to help make AI infrastructure more predictable, more adaptable, and more cost efficient.

Whether an AI cloud provider is delivering GPU capacity for compute, AI models, or both, they can now scale without overbuilding, monetize without complexity, secure without slowing down, and customize without rewrites.

For providers, this means less time wasted putting out fires and more focus on innovation and growth. For customers, it means responses that are faster, sharper, and more reliable. These are the behind-the-scenes infrastructure wins that make every AI Interaction feel effortless-and deliver the kind of AI experiences that keep users coming back.