 still alpha, but we continue to improve it with a new
<a href=/v1.9/docs/reference/config/istio.operator.v1alpha1/><code>IstioOperator API</code></a>.</p><p>Speaking of <code>istioctl</code>, it has over a dozen improvements &ndash; new items it can
analyze, better validation rules, and better ability to integrate with CI
systems (look for examples coming soon!). It is
now an essential tool for understanding the state of a running Istio system and
for ensuring that configuration changes are safe. And <code