Software-Defined Networking tool for connecting Linux containers to arbitrary network topologies using bridges, VLANs, and macvlan interfaces.
Pipework is a networking tool that connects Linux containers (including Docker and LXC) to complex network configurations not natively supported by container engines. It enables advanced networking by manually plumbing containers into custom bridges, VLANs, and physical interfaces, solving early Docker networking limitations.
System administrators and DevOps engineers managing Linux containers in environments requiring custom network topologies, such as those using macvlan, VLANs, Open vSwitch, or InfiniBand IPoIB.
Developers choose Pipework for fine-grained control over container networking when native Docker or LXC solutions are insufficient, offering flexibility for complex, custom setups like direct physical interface attachment or software-defined networking.
Software-Defined Networking tools for LXC (LinuX Containers)
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Enables custom bridges, VLANs, and direct physical interface attachments (e.g., macvlan), as demonstrated in examples for connecting containers to Open vSwitch or local eth2/eth3.
Offers precise configuration of MAC addresses, DHCP clients, and IP routes/rules, with support for traffic control (tc) to emulate packet loss or other conditions.
Solves early Docker networking limitations, allowing advanced setups like InfiniBand IPoIB with partition keys or private inter-container networks without native support.
Works with both Docker and LXC containers, and integrates Docker name resolution via 'docker inspect' for easier scripting.
Explicitly marked as not maintained post-2020, with warnings that it may break if Docker changes networking internals and no fixes will be provided.
Requires deep networking knowledge and host-level tweaks (e.g., VirtualBox NIC settings, vCenter policies), making it error-prone and unsuitable for automation-first workflows.
Lacks native support for contemporary orchestration tools; achieving automation requires external forks or custom scripting, as noted in the 'Integrating pipework with other tools' section.
DHCP clients exit by default, causing lease expiration in long-running containers unless manual flags are used, adding operational overhead for renewal tracking.