In OpenShift, the default container datapath is implemented using veth pairs connected to an OVS bridge, relying on kernel-space networking. With the introduction of DPDK and VDUSE (vDPA devices in userspace), OpenShift now not only offers a userspace datapath solution for container networking, but also unlocks the benefits of DPDK to containerized workloads—similar to the vhost-user solution used in traditional virtualized environments.
But what are the actual performance characteristics of the userspace datapath in OpenShift? And how does it compare to the kernel-space datapath?
In this talk, we will first present the technical architecture of the VDUSE OVS-DPDK userspace datapath solution we are implementing in OpenShift. We will then answer these questions by showcasing real-world benchmark results, focusing on key metrics such as latency, throughput, packets per second (PPS), among others.