Kong Ingress Controller 2.11 introduces key enhancements, including the "last known good configuration" feature, which ensures new pods receive valid configurations even if there are issues with the Kubernetes API server. This feature caches the most recent valid configuration, allowing for smoother scaling and pod restarts without sacrificing durability. The update also improves monitoring capabilities with new Prometheus metrics and introduces support for Kong Gateway's readiness endpoint, enhancing traffic handling reliability. Additionally, KIC 2.11 supports new Kong Gateway features, such as the instance_name field for KongPlugin resources and the KongConsumerGroup custom resource definition, streamlining configuration management across multiple consumers. Furthermore, KIC 2.11 aligns with version 0.7.1 of the Kubernetes Gateway API, reflecting Kong's active role in its development and commitment to compliance with the latest standards.