k8s-netperf - Kubernetes Network Performance
May 8, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
k8s-netperf - Kubernetes Network Performance
A tool to run network performance tests in Kubernetes clusters.
Overview
k8s-netperf is a comprehensive network performance testing tool designed specifically for Kubernetes environments. It supports multiple benchmark tools (netperf, iperf3, uperf and ib_write_bw) and can test various network scenarios including pod-to-pod, host networking, and cross-availability zone communications.
Supported Benchmarks
| Tool | Test | Status |
|---|---|---|
| netperf | TCP_STREAM | Working |
| netperf | UDP_STREAM | Working |
| netperf | TCP_RR | Working |
| netperf | UDP_RR | Working |
| netperf | TCP_CRR | Working |
| uperf | TCP_STREAM | Working |
| uperf | UDP_STREAM | Working |
| uperf | TCP_RR | Working |
| uperf | UDP_RR | Working |
| iperf3 | TCP_STREAM | Working |
| iperf3 | UDP_STREAM | Working |
| ib_write_bw | UDP_STREAM | Working |
Quick Start
Install latest stable version with:
curl -Ls https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cloud-bulldozer/k8s-netperf/refs/heads/main/hack/install.sh | sh
Note
Default installation path is ${HOME}/.local/bin/, you can change it by setting the INSTALL_DIR environment variable to the desired path.
before running the script
Then create the required resources:
$ kubectl create ns netperf
$ kubectl create sa netperf -n netperf
$ k8s-netperf --config netperf.yml
Documentation
For detailed documentation, please refer to the following guides:
- Setup and Installation - How to build, install, and configure k8s-netperf
- Configuration - Configuration file formats, benchmark options, and OpenSearch integration
- Advanced Usage - VMs, User Defined Networks (UDN), bridge networks, SR-IOV, MACVLAN and external servers
- Output and Results - Understanding test output, pass/fail criteria, and CSV exports
Features
- Multiple benchmark tools: Support for netperf, iperf3, uperf and ib_write_bw
- Flexible test scenarios: Pod-to-pod, host networking, cross-AZ testing
- Virtual Machine support: Test with KubeVirt VMs
- Advanced networking: User Defined Networks (UDN), bridge interfaces, SR-IOV and MACVLAN
- Pass/fail validation: Automated performance regression detection
- Result archiving: CSV export and OpenSearch integration
- Prometheus integration: System metrics collection during tests
Contributing
Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to contribute to this project.