kubernetes-sigs/kubespray

Support setup device plugin for CNF 5G core

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#12,540 opened on Sep 8, 2025

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Description

What would you like to be added

I would like to have built-in support for deploying the SR-IOV CNI plugin and enabling DPDK-based workloads in Kubernetes clusters, including streamlined configuration of SR-IOV network devices, VF allocation, and DPDK-compatible runtime settings.

Why is this needed

This is needed to support low-latency, high-throughput network functions (such as CNFs) in Telco Cloud environments. SR-IOV provides direct hardware access for pods, while DPDK enables fast packet processing in user space. Automating this setup simplifies deployment, ensures consistency, and reduces operational complexity in production environments that require deterministic performance.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
None
Domain
infrastructurecloudperformance
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
over 1 week
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Kubernetes basicsSR IOV networkingKubespray deploymentDPDK concepts
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
15
Research direction
Investigate existing Kubespray roles for CNI plugins (e.g., calico, flannel) to model SR IOV CNI support. Examine variables and templates for device plugin configuration. Research DPDK runtime settings and kernel parameters required for DPDK workloads. Look for prior discussions or PRs in the kubespray repository related to SR IOV and DPDK.