A _service mesh_ is a dedicated network layer that provides secure service-to-service communication within and across infrastructure, including on-premises and cloud environments.
Service meshes are often used with a microservice architectural pattern, but can provide value in any scenario where complex networking is involved. Consul’s service mesh allows organizations to securely connect and manage their network services across multiple different environments. Using Envoy as the sidecar proxy attached to every service, Consul ensures that all service-to-service communication is authorized, authenticated, and encrypted. 

For more information, refer to [Consul service mesh use cases](/consul/docs/use-case/service-mesh).