Multus CNI
Multus CNI is a Kubernetes CNI meta-plugin that gives pods additional network interfaces by calling other CNI plugins.
What Multus CNI is
Multus CNI is a Kubernetes CNI meta-plugin that gives pods additional network interfaces by calling other CNI plugins. NetworkAttachmentDefinition custom resources describe the configurations for those extra interfaces; examples include VLAN, VXLAN, and PTP networks. A Kubernetes cluster and an installed default CNI network are prerequisites. The project documents thick and thin deployments and recommends the thick plugin for most environments, though it uses more resources; thick deployment also supports metrics unavailable in thin deployment. Installation options include a Kubernetes DaemonSet, release binaries, GitHub Container Registry images, and building from source. Multus passes device IDs assigned by kubelet to delegated plugins but does not allocate devices itself. The maintainers support Kubernetes versions that remain supported by the Kubernetes community. The project builds for multiple architectures, but testing and validation are performed against x86, with other architectures relying on best-effort community contributions. Multus is free and open source under Apache-2.0, for Kubernetes on Linux nodes, including self-hosted clusters. The project directs questions to GitHub issues or the Network Plumbing Working Group Slack #general channel.
Good
- Free and open source under Apache-2.0
- Supports additional pod interfaces through other CNI plugins
- Offers DaemonSet, binary, container image, and source installations
- Thick deployment supports metrics
Watch out
- Requires Kubernetes and an installed default CNI network
- Thick deployment uses more resources than thin
- Testing and validation are performed against x86
Who it suits
It is for teams running Kubernetes on Linux nodes that need pods to use additional networks through other CNI plugins. Users need an existing Kubernetes cluster and default CNI network.
Verdict
Multus CNI is a focused option for adding multiple network interfaces to Kubernetes pods through existing CNI plugins. Factor in its cluster prerequisites and the resource trade-off between deployment types.
The facts
Each one read from Multus CNI's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture support
- The project says it builds for multiple architectures, but testing and validation are performed against x86; other architectures are supported through best-effort community contributions.checked 8 Oct 2026
- CNI integrations
- Multus can invoke other CNI plugins, with the project describing examples including VLAN, VXLAN, and PTP networks.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Compatibility
- The quickstart says Multus supports Kubernetes versions supported by the Kubernetes community.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Deployment options
- The project documents thick and thin plugin deployments, and recommends thick plugin for most environments while noting that it consumes more resources.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The project offers installation by Kubernetes DaemonSet, downloadable release binaries, GitHub Container Registry images, or building from source.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Existing network required
- The quickstart requires Kubernetes and an installed default CNI network before Multus is deployed.checked 8 Oct 2026
- How it works
- Multus calls other CNI plugins to provide additional network interfaces to multi-homed pods.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project gives VLAN, VXLAN and PTP as examples of networks reached through other CNI plugins.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Kubernetes support
- The maintainers say they support Kubernetes versions that the Kubernetes community maintains.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Metrics
- The README says the thick deployment supports metrics that were unavailable with the thin deployment.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Network configuration
- It uses NetworkAttachmentDefinition custom resources to specify configurations for additional pod interfaces.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Prerequisite
- Installation requires Kubernetes and an already configured default CNI network for pod-to-pod connectivity.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Multus CNI is a Kubernetes CNI meta-plugin that attaches multiple network interfaces to pods by calling other CNI plugins.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Resource trade-off
- The README recommends the thick plugin for most environments and says it consumes more resources than the thin plugin.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security detail
- The quickstart says installation creates a node directory containing authentication information for Multus to access the Kubernetes API.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to open a GitHub issue or ask questions in the Network Plumbing Working Group Slack #general channel.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support channels
- The project directs questions to GitHub issues or the #general channel in NPWG Slack.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Device resources
- Multus passes device IDs assigned by kubelet to delegate CNI plugins and does not allocate devices itself.checked 8 Oct 2026
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