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To meet the evolving demands of telco cloud environments, using multiple network interfaces for Containerized Network Functions (CNFs) has become crucial. CNFs often require connectivity to multiple networks to support various use cases, such as connecting to different customer networks, accessing external services, or separating traffic for security purposes. However, managing multiple network interfaces in a containerized environment can be challenging. Fortunately, the Multus Container Network Interface (CNI) solves this challenge.
Challenge: Managing multiple network interfaces for CNFs
Telco cloud environments require CNFs to use multiple network interfaces simultaneously, enabling improved performance, network segmentation, and network integration. However, natively managing multiple network interfaces within a containerized environment can take time and effort.
Solution: Multus CNI for multiple network interfaces management
Multus CNI is an open-source project that enhances the Kubernetes networking model by supporting multiple container network interfaces. It allows CNFs to be associated with multiple network interfaces, each connected to a separate network and provides the necessary capabilities to manage and configure these interfaces efficiently.
Multus CNI enables the creation of multiple network attachments, which represent the different network interfaces required by CNFs. Each attachment can be associated with a specific network interface and network configuration. By using Multus CNI, CNFs can seamlessly communicate with multiple networks and leverage the advantages of each network interface.
One of the critical features of Multus CNI is its ability to leverage existing CNI plugins to manage each network attachment. CNFs can benefit from the rich ecosystem of CNI plugins, including popular options like Calico, Flannel, or Cilium, to manage networking for each attachment. This flexibility allows telco cloud operators to choose the most suitable networking solution for each network interface based on their specific requirements and preferences.
Also, Multus CNI provides advanced network policy enforcement capabilities. It integrates with Kubernetes network policy APIs, enabling fine-grained network segmentation and access control. That way, CNFs can operate securely within their assigned network interfaces and enforce traffic isolation between networks.
By leveraging the capabilities of Multus CNI, telco cloud environments can manage and use multiple network interfaces for CNFs. This efficiency enables enhanced connectivity, improved performance, and better integration with diverse networks. Multus CNI simplifies the configuration and management of multiple network attachments, providing a scalable and flexible solution for telco cloud operators.
Multus CNI: https://github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/multus-cni