How do I test Redis failover with Toxiproxy?

Configure a proxy for Redis, then use the 'down' toxic or client library to simulate downtime in a test block. The README example shows taking down all Redis instances to verify error handling in a Rails app.

Toxiproxy vs iptables for network simulation: which is better?

Toxiproxy is cross-platform and doesn't require root access, making it ideal for testing and CI. iptables is Linux-only and lower-level, better for system-wide network control but harder to automate in tests.

Can Toxiproxy simulate packet loss?

Not directly, but you can use the 'slicer' toxic to break data into pieces or 'timeout' to drop connections, mimicking packet loss effects. For precise packet-level control, tools like 'tc' are more suitable.

How to run Toxiproxy in a Docker Compose setup?

Use the official Docker image and expose port 8474 for the HTTP API. Configure proxies to intercept service traffic, often using host networking or custom bridge networks to connect containers.

Why does Toxiproxy not work with MySQL on localhost?

MySQL may prefer Unix domain sockets over TCP when set to 'localhost'. Use '127.0.0.1' as the host and disable sockets in MySQL config, as mentioned in the README's FAQ section.

How to add latency to an HTTP service with Toxiproxy?

Create a proxy for the HTTP service's TCP port, then apply the 'latency' toxic via the HTTP API or client. Ensure your app routes requests through the proxy's listen address to inject delays.

Open-Awesome

toxiproxy

MITGov2.12.0

A TCP proxy for simulating network failures and latency to test application resiliency in development and CI environments.

Visit Website GitHub

12.3k stars510 forks0 contributors

What is toxiproxy?

Toxiproxy is a TCP proxy that simulates network and system failures like latency, downtime, and bandwidth constraints. It allows developers to test how their applications behave under adverse network conditions, ensuring they remain resilient and have no single points of failure. It's specifically built for testing, CI, and development environments.

Target Audience

Developers, QA engineers, and DevOps teams building distributed systems who need to validate application resiliency against network failures in automated tests and CI pipelines.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Toxiproxy because it provides a lightweight, cross-platform, and programmable way to inject network chaos without requiring root access or complex setup. Its dynamic HTTP API and multi-language client support make it easy to integrate into existing test suites.

Overview

:alarm_clock: :fire: A TCP proxy to simulate network and system conditions for chaos and resiliency testing

Use Cases

Best For

Testing fallback mechanisms when a database or cache fails
Simulating high-latency network calls to verify UI responsiveness
Validating service degradation under bandwidth constraints
Automated chaos testing in CI/CD pipelines
Unit and integration tests for network failure handling
Developing and testing retry logic and circuit breakers

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring simulation of UDP or non-TCP protocol failures
Teams needing a graphical interface or no-code tool for ad-hoc chaos testing
Applications where reconfiguring network connections to use a proxy is not feasible
Environments that demand comprehensive, system-wide chaos engineering beyond network layer (e.g., CPU/memory stress)

Pros & Cons

Pros

Deterministic Chaos Testing

Supports both precise and randomized fault injection, enabling repeatable tests for network failures, as emphasized in the README's philosophy of proving resiliency.

Cross-Platform Accessibility

Available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Docker with simple installation via package managers or binaries, making it easy to deploy in diverse testing environments.

Multi-Language Client Support

Offers official clients in Ruby, Go, Python, Java, and more, allowing seamless integration into various tech stacks without manual HTTP API calls.

Production-Proven Reliability

Used by Shopify in all development and test environments since 2014, demonstrating its effectiveness and stability in real-world applications.

Cons

TCP-Only Protocol Support

Limited to TCP connections, so it cannot simulate failures for UDP-based services or higher-layer protocols like HTTP/2 directly, which restricts its applicability.

Configuration and Setup Overhead

Requires populating proxies and modifying application connections to route through Toxiproxy, adding complexity and potential for errors in test environments.

Breaking API Changes

Upgrading from Toxiproxy 1.x to 2.0 introduced incompatible API changes, forcing updates to client libraries and migration efforts, as noted in the README.

Frequently Asked Questions

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