Container Orchestration · No SR-IOV · Simpler Networking
Overview: Kubernetes-based orchestration without SR-IOV. Instead of virtual functions, pods use physical NIC interfaces or macvlan/ipvlan CNI plugins. Simpler to configure than SR-IOV but less flexible — fewer pods per node since you're limited to physical NIC count. RoCE still provides lossless RDMA fabric.
Best for: Teams wanting Kubernetes benefits without SR-IOV complexity. Smaller clusters where one pod per NIC is acceptable. Trade-offs: Fewer pods per server, less network isolation per pod, simpler setup.
Overview
Kubernetes-based orchestration without SR-IOV. Instead of virtual functions, pods use physical NIC interfaces via Macvlan or IPVLAN CNI plugins. Simpler to configure than SR-IOV but less flexible — fewer pods per node since you are limited to physical NIC count. RoCE still provides lossless RDMA fabric.
Best For
✦ Teams wanting Kubernetes without SR-IOV complexity
✦ Smaller clusters where 1 pod per NIC is acceptable
✦ Teams already familiar with Kubernetes
✦ Environments without SR-IOV capable hardware
✦ Simpler networking requirements
Trade-Offs
⚠ Fewer pods per server than SR-IOV
⚠ Less network isolation per pod
⚠ Limited to physical NIC count
⚠ No virtual function flexibility
⚠ Less density than Design 1