System Requirements¶
Prior to installing the BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes, ensure that you have the required setup listed in this section.
Important
- BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU installation has been tested with the DPU dedicated to BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes software. Any other software installed on the DPU can cause performance issues and could potentially cause the DPU node to become inoperable in the Kubernetes cluster.
- BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU enumerates the SR-IOV scalable functions immediately after the NVIDIA default scalable functions are created. If you need to define any other SR-IOV CNI device plugin policies, make sure to do it after BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes is up and running. To ensure proper data plane functionality, please follow the installation instructions for BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes carefully.
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| Sequence No. | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOCA | The NVIDIA BlueField-3 (DPU) and Host should have DOCA installed. For more information on how to configure DOCA, see Installing Software on BlueField, NVIDIA DOCA Profiles, and Installation Files. |
| 2 | RShim | Install and Enable RShim on Host. Installing DOCA-Host Profile all will downloads the RShim by default. For more information, see NVIDIA DOCA Profiles. |
| 3 | Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) | Enable SRIOV in the BIOS settings during reboot. |
| 4 | Virtual Functions (VFs) | To configure VFs, see Virtual Functions. |
| 5 | Scalable Functions (SF) | Scalable Functions (SF) are similar to Virtual Functions (VF) and must be configured on the DPU for TMM. See Scalable Functions. |
| 6 | OpenvSwitch | The OpenvSwitch configuration enables you to establish connectivity between the host (VF) and the BlueField-3/DPU (SF) using the utility ovs-vsctl. Establish two OVS bridges, one for internal network and another for external network. |
| 7 | Hugepages | Hugepages are necessary for the proper functioning of both the Traffic Management Microkernel (TMM) and the Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK). |
| 8 | Virtual Function I/O (VFIO) | The Virtual Function I/O (VFIO) framework enables userspace drivers to securely interact with devices. |
| 9 | Helm | Install helm. |
| 10 | IPv6 | Prior to installing Kubernetes, set up static IPv6 settings on the Host and DPU nodes to create a dualstack cluster. |
| 11 | Kubernetes | Deploy the Kubernetes version 1.29 or latest on both the DPU and Host. |
| 12 | Container Network Interface (CNI) | CNI fulfills Kubernetes' networking requirements and ensures seamless communication between containers, pods, and services. F5 tested BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes with Flannel CNI and Calico CNI. |
| 13 | Coredump Size Limit on DPU | F5 recommends modifying the default values of ProcessSizeMax and ExternalSizeMax parameters to 50GB to avoid capturing incorrect or incomplete core created by TMM crashes. For more information, see Configure CoreDump Limit on DPU. |
| 14 | SRIOV CNI Plugin | SRIOV CNI plugin exposes the SF on the DPU node to Kubernetes. To configure SRIOV Plugin, see Install the SRIOV CNI Plugin. |
| 15 | Multus Network Attachment Definition | The Multus Network Attachment Definition enables the connection of the underlay network (SF) to the Kubernetes pod (TMM). For more information, see Multus Network Attachment Definition. |
Next Steps: