Cilium is an open-source software for providing, securing, and observing network connectivity between container workloads. It leverages eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology in the Linux kernel to provide high-performance networking, security, and observability.
For more information on Cilium, visit the official Cilium website.
One of the common issues users might encounter with Cilium is high CPU usage. This can manifest as increased latency, slower response times, or even resource exhaustion on the nodes running Cilium.
When Cilium is consuming an unusually high amount of CPU resources, it may affect the overall performance of your Kubernetes cluster. Monitoring tools may show spikes in CPU usage, and you might notice degraded performance in network operations.
The high CPU usage in Cilium is often linked to the management of a large number of network policies or endpoints. Each policy and endpoint requires processing, which can increase the computational load on Cilium components.
As the number of network policies or endpoints grows, Cilium needs to handle more data, leading to increased CPU consumption. This is particularly evident in environments with dynamic workloads where policies are frequently updated or where there is a high density of endpoints.
To address the high CPU usage issue, consider the following steps:
For further guidance on optimizing Cilium performance, refer to the Cilium Performance Tuning Guide.
High CPU usage in Cilium can be effectively managed by optimizing network policies and scaling Cilium components appropriately. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that your Kubernetes cluster remains performant and responsive.
(Perfect for DevOps & SREs)
(Perfect for DevOps & SREs)