Backport of docs: Updates to support HCP Consul cluster peering release into release/1.15.x

website/content/docs/connect/cluster-peering/index.mdx

@@ -51,24 +51,31 @@ Regardless of whether you connect your clusters through WAN federation or cluste
 
 The following resources are available to help you use Consul's cluster peering features.
 
-**Tutorials:**
+### Tutorials
 
 - To learn how to peer clusters and connect services across peers in AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) environments, complete the [Consul Cluster Peering on Kubernetes tutorial](/consul/tutorials/developer-mesh/cluster-peering).
 
-**Usage documentation:**
+### Usage documentation
 
 - [Establish cluster peering connections](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-cluster-peering)
 - [Manage cluster peering connections](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/manage-connections)
 - [Manage L7 traffic with cluster peering](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/peering-traffic-management)
 
-**Kubernetes-specific documentation:**
+### Kubernetes documentation
 
 - [Cluster peering on Kubernetes technical specifications](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs)
 - [Establish cluster peering connections on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering)
 - [Manage cluster peering connections on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/manage-peering)
 - [Manage L7 traffic with cluster peering on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/l7-traffic)
 
-**Reference documentation:**
+### HCP Consul documentation
+
+- [Cluster peering](/hcp/docs/consul/usage/cluster-peering)
+- [Cluster peering topologies](/hcp/docs/consul/usage/cluster-peering/topologies)
+- [Establish cluster peering connnections on HCP Consul](/hcp/docs/consul/usage/cluster-peering/create-connections)
+- [Cluster peering with management plane](/hcp/docs/consul/usage/management-plane#cluster-peering)
+
+### Reference documentation
 
 - [Cluster peering technical specifications](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs)
 - [HTTP API reference: `/peering/` endpoint](/consul/api-docs/peering)

website/content/docs/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs.mdx

@@ -7,43 +7,60 @@ description: >-
 
 # Cluster peering technical specifications
 
-This reference topic describes the technical specifications associated with using cluster peering in your deployments. These specifications include required Consul components and their configurations.
+This reference topic describes the technical specifications associated with using cluster peering in your deployments. These specifications include required Consul components and their configurations. To learn more about Consul's cluster peering feature, refer to [cluster peering overview](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering).
+
+For cluster peering requirements in Kubernetes deployments, refer to [cluster peering on Kubernetes technical specifications](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs).
 
 ## Requirements
 
-To use cluster peering features, make sure your Consul environment meets the following prerequisites:
+Consul's default configuration supports cluster peering connections directly between clusters. In production environments, we recommend using mesh gateways to securely route service mesh traffic between partitions with cluster peering connections.
+
+In addition, make sure your Consul environment meets the following prerequisites:
 
 - Consul v1.14 or higher.
-- A local Consul agent is required to manage mesh gateway configuration.
 - Use [Envoy proxies](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy). Envoy is the only proxy with mesh gateway capabilities in Consul.
+- A local Consul agent is required to manage mesh gateway configurations.
 
-In addition, the following service mesh components are required in order to establish cluster peering connections:
-
-- [Mesh gateways](#mesh-gateway-requirements)
-- [Sidecar proxies](#sidecar-proxy-requirements)
-- [Exported services](#exported-service-requirements)
-- [ACLs](#acl-requirements)
+## Mesh gateway specifications
 
-### Mesh gateway requirements
+To change Consul's default configuration and enable cluster peering through mesh gateways, use a mesh configuration entry to update your network's service mesh proxies globally:
 
-Mesh gateways are required for routing service mesh traffic between partitions with cluster peering connections. Consider the following general requirements for mesh gateways when using cluster peering:
+1. In a `mesh` configuration entry, set `PeerThroughMeshGateways` to `true`:
 
-- A cluster requires a registered mesh gateway in order to export services to peers.
-- For Enterprise, this mesh gateway must also be registered in the same partition as the exported services and their `exported-services` configuration entry.
-- To use the `local` mesh gateway mode, you must register a mesh gateway in the importing cluster.
+  <CodeBlockConfig filename="mesh-config.hcl">
+
+  ```hcl
+  Kind = "mesh"
+  Peering {
+    PeerThroughMeshGateways = true
+  }
+  ```
+
+  </CodeBlockConfig>
 
-In addition, you must define the `Proxy.Config` settings using opaque parameters compatible with your proxy. Refer to the [Gateway options](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#gateway-options) and [Escape-hatch Overrides](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#escape-hatch-overrides) documentation for additional Envoy proxy configuration information.
+1. Write the configuration entry to Consul:
 
-#### Mesh gateway modes
+  ```shell
+  $ consul config write mesh-config.hcl
+  ```
 
-By default, all cluster peering connections use mesh gateways in [remote mode](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway/service-to-service-traffic-wan-datacenters#remote). Be aware of these additional requirements when changing a mesh gateway's mode.
+When cluster peering through mesh gateways, consider the following deployment requirements:
+
+- A cluster requires a registered mesh gateway in order to export services to peers in other regions or cloud providers.
+- The mesh gateway must also be registered in the same admin partition as the exported services and their `exported-services` configuration entry. An enterprise license is required to use multiple admin partitions with a single cluster of Consul servers.
+- To use the `local` mesh gateway mode, you must register a mesh gateway in the importing cluster.
+- Define the `Proxy.Config` settings using opaque parameters compatible with your proxy. Refer to the [Gateway options](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#gateway-options) and [Escape-hatch Overrides](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#escape-hatch-overrides) documentation for additional Envoy proxy configuration information.
+
+### Mesh gateway modes
+
+By default, cluster peering connections use mesh gateways in [remote mode](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway/service-to-service-traffic-wan-datacenters#remote). Be aware of these additional requirements when changing a mesh gateway's mode.
 
 - For mesh gateways that connect peered clusters, you can set the `mode` as either `remote` or `local`.
 - The `none` mode is invalid for mesh gateways with cluster peering connections.
 
 Refer to [mesh gateway modes](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway#modes) for more information.
 
-## Sidecar proxy requirements
+## Sidecar proxy specifications
 
 The Envoy proxies that function as sidecars in your service mesh require configuration in order to properly route traffic to peers. Sidecar proxies are defined in the [service definition](/consul/docs/services/usage/defin-services).
 
@@ -52,15 +69,13 @@ The Envoy proxies that function as sidecars in your service mesh require configu
 - The `proxy.upstreams.destination_peer` parameter must be configured to enable cross-cluster traffic.
 - The `proxy.upstream/destination_namespace` configuration is only necessary if the destination service is in a non-default namespace.
 
-## Exported service requirements
-
-The `exported-services` configuration entry is required in order for services to communicate across partitions with cluster peering connections.
+## Exported service specifications
 
-Basic guidance on using the `exported-services` configuration entry is included in [Establish cluster peering connections](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/create-cluster-peering).
+The `exported-services` configuration entry is required in order for services to communicate across partitions with cluster peering connections. Basic guidance on using the `exported-services` configuration entry is included in [Establish cluster peering connections](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering#export-services-between-clusters).
 
 Refer to the [`exported-services` configuration entry](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/exported-services) reference for more information.
 
-## ACL requirements
+## ACL specifications
 
 If ACLs are enabled, you must add tokens to grant the following permissions:
 

website/content/docs/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-cluster-peering.mdx

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ This page details the process for establishing a cluster peering connection betw
 
 Cluster peering between services cannot be established until all four steps are complete.
 
-For Kubernetes-specific guidance for establishing cluster peering connections, refer to [Establish cluster peering connections on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering).
+For Kubernetes guidance, refer to [Establish cluster peering connections on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering). For HCP Consul guidance, refer to [Establish cluster peering connections on HCP Consul](/hcp/docs/consul/usage/cluster-peering/create-connections).
 
 ## Requirements
 
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ If you need to make services available to an admin partition in the same datacen
 
 ### Mesh gateway requirements
 
-Mesh gateways are required for all cluster peering connections. Consider the following architectural requirements when creating mesh gateways:
+Consul's default configuration supports cluster peering connections directly between clusters. In production environments, we recommend using mesh gateways to securely route service mesh traffic between partitions with cluster peering connections.
 
-- A registered mesh gateway is required in order to export services to peers.
-- For Enterprise, the mesh gateway that exports services must be registered in the same partition as the exported services and their `exported-services` configuration entry.
-- To use the `local` mesh gateway mode, you must register a mesh gateway in the importing cluster.
+To enable cluster peering through mesh gateways and configure mesh gateways to support cluster peering, refer to [mesh gateway specifications](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs#mesh-gateway-specifications).
 
 ## Create a peering token
 

website/content/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs.mdx

@@ -2,34 +2,34 @@
 layout: docs
 page_title: Cluster Peering on Kubernetes Technical Specifications 
 description: >- 
-  In Kubernetes deployments, cluster peering connections interact with mesh gateways, sidecar proxies, exported services, and ACLs. Learn about requirements specific to k8s, including required Helm values and CRDs.
+  In Kubernetes deployments, cluster peering connections interact with mesh gateways, exported services, and ACLs. Learn about requirements specific to k8s, including required Helm values and custom resource definitions (CRDs).
 ---
 
 # Cluster peering on Kubernetes technical specifications
 
-This reference topic describes the technical specifications associated with using cluster peering in your Kubernetes deployments. These specifications include [required Helm values](#helm-requirements) and [required custom resource definitions (CRDs)](#crd-requirements), as well as required Consul components and their configurations.
+This reference topic describes the technical specifications associated with using cluster peering in your Kubernetes deployments. These specifications include [required Helm values](#helm-requirements) and [required custom resource definitions (CRDs)](#crd-requirements), as well as required Consul components and their configurations. To learn more about Consul's cluster peering feature, refer to [cluster peering overview](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering).
 
 For cluster peering requirements in non-Kubernetes deployments, refer to [cluster peering technical specifications](/consul/docs/connect/cluster-peering/tech-specs).
 
-## General Requirements
+## General requirements
 
-To use cluster peering features, make sure your Consul environment meets the following prerequisites:
+Make sure your Consul environment meets the following prerequisites:
 
 - Consul v1.14 or higher
 - Consul on Kubernetes v1.0.0 or higher
 - At least two Kubernetes clusters
 
-In addition, the following service mesh components are required in order to establish cluster peering connections:
+You must also configure the following service mesh components in order to establish cluster peering connections:
 
 - [Helm](#helm-requirements)
 - [Custom resource definitions (CRD)](#crd-requirements)
 - [Mesh gateways](#mesh-gateway-requirements)
 - [Exported services](#exported-service-requirements)
 - [ACLs](#acl-requirements)
 
-## Helm requirements
+## Helm specifications
 
- Mesh gateways are required when establishing cluster peering connections. The following values must be set in the Helm chart to enable mesh gateways:
+Consul's default configuration supports cluster peering connections directly between clusters. In production environments, we recommend using mesh gateways to securely route service mesh traffic between partitions with cluster peering connections. The following values must be set in the Helm chart to enable mesh gateways:
 
 - [`global.tls.enabled = true`](/consul/docs/k8s/helm#v-global-tls-enabled)
 - [`meshGateway.enabled = true`](/consul/docs/k8s/helm#v-meshgateway-enabled)
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ meshGateway:
 
 After mesh gateways are enabled in the Helm chart, you can separately [configure Mesh CRDs](#mesh-gateway-configuration-for-kubernetes).
 
-## CRD requirements
+## CRD specifications
 
 You must create the following CRDs in order to establish a peering connection:
 
@@ -100,28 +100,9 @@ spec:
 </CodeBlockConfig>
 </CodeTabs>
 
-## Mesh gateway requirements
+## Mesh gateway specifications
 
-Mesh gateways are required for routing service mesh traffic between partitions with cluster peering connections. Consider the following general requirements for mesh gateways when using cluster peering:
-
-- A cluster requires a registered mesh gateway in order to export services to peers.
-- For Enterprise, this mesh gateway must also be registered in the same partition as the exported services and their `exported-services` configuration entry.
-- To use the `local` mesh gateway mode, you must register a mesh gateway in the importing cluster.
-
-In addition, you must define the `Proxy.Config` settings using opaque parameters compatible with your proxy. Refer to the [Gateway options](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#gateway-options) and [Escape-hatch Overrides](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#escape-hatch-overrides) documentation for additional Envoy proxy configuration information.
-
-### Mesh gateway modes
-
-By default, all cluster peering connections use mesh gateways in [remote mode](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway/service-to-service-traffic-wan-datacenters#remote). Be aware of these additional requirements when changing a mesh gateway's mode.
-
-- For mesh gateways that connect peered clusters, you can set the `mode` as either `remote` or `local`.
-- The `none` mode is invalid for mesh gateways with cluster peering connections.
-
-Refer to [mesh gateway modes](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway#modes) for more information.
-
-### Mesh gateway configuration for Kubernetes
-
-Mesh gateways are required for cluster peering connections. Complete the following steps to add mesh gateways to your deployment so that you can establish cluster peering connections:
+To change Consul's default configuration and enable cluster peering through mesh gateways, use a mesh configuration entry to update your network's service mesh proxies globally:
 
 1. In `cluster-01` create the `Mesh` custom resource with `peeringThroughMeshGateways` set to `true`.
 
@@ -139,39 +120,47 @@ Mesh gateways are required for cluster peering connections. Complete the followi
 
   </CodeBlockConfig>
 
-1. Apply the mesh gateway to `cluster-01`. Replace `CLUSTER1_CONTEXT` to target the first Consul cluster.
+1. Apply the mesh CRD to `cluster-01`.
 
   ```shell-session
   $ kubectl --context $CLUSTER1_CONTEXT apply -f mesh.yaml 
   ```
 
-1. Repeat the process to create and apply a mesh gateway with cluster peering enabled to `cluster-02`. Replace `CLUSTER2_CONTEXT` to target the second Consul cluster.
-
-  <CodeBlockConfig filename="mesh.yaml">
-
-  ```yaml
-  apiVersion: consul.hashicorp.com/v1alpha1
-  kind: Mesh
-  metadata:
-    name: mesh
-  spec:
-    peering:
-      peerThroughMeshGateways: true
-  ```
-
-  </CodeBlockConfig>
+1. Apply the mesh CRD to `cluster-02`.
 
   ```shell-session
   $  kubectl --context $CLUSTER2_CONTEXT apply -f mesh.yaml 
   ```
 
-## Exported service requirements
+<Note>
+
+  For help setting up the cluster context variables used in this example, refer to [assign cluster IDs to environmental variables](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering#assign-cluster-ids-to-environmental-variables).
+
+</Note>
+
+When cluster peering through mesh gateways, consider the following deployment requirements:
+
+- A Consul cluster requires a registered mesh gateway in order to export services to peers in other regions or cloud providers.
+- The mesh gateway must also be registered in the same admin partition as the exported services and their `exported-services` configuration entry. An enterprise license is required to use multiple admin partitions with a single cluster of Consul servers.
+- To use the `local` mesh gateway mode, you must register a mesh gateway in the importing cluster.
+- Define the `Proxy.Config` settings using opaque parameters compatible with your proxy. For additional Envoy proxy configuration information, refer to [Gateway options](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#gateway-options) and [Escape-hatch overrides](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy#escape-hatch-overrides).
+
+### Mesh gateway modes
+
+By default, all cluster peering connections use mesh gateways in [remote mode](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/mesh-gateway/service-to-service-traffic-wan-datacenters#remote). Be aware of these additional requirements when changing a mesh gateway's mode.
+
+- For mesh gateways that connect peered clusters, you can set the `mode` as either `remote` or `local`.
+- The `none` mode is invalid for mesh gateways with cluster peering connections.
+
+To learn how to change the mesh gateway mode to `local` on your Kubernetes deployment, refer to [configure the mesh gateway mode for traffic between services](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering#configure-the-mesh-gateway-mode-for-traffic-between-services).
+
+## Exported service specifications
 
-The `exported-services` CRD is required in order for services to communicate across partitions with cluster peering connections.
+The `exported-services` CRD is required in order for services to communicate across partitions with cluster peering connections. Basic guidance on using the `exported-services` configuration entry is included in [Establish cluster peering connections](/consul/docs/k8s/connect/cluster-peering/usage/establish-peering#export-services-between-clusters).
 
-Refer to the [`exported-services` configuration entry](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/exported-services) reference for more information.
+Refer to [`exported-services` configuration entry](/consul/docs/connect/config-entries/exported-services) for more information.
 
-## ACL requirements
+## ACL specifications
 
 If ACLs are enabled, you must add tokens to grant the following permissions: