Load test gRPC endpoint¶

Load test a Kubernetes gRPC service and visualizing the performance metrics with an Iter8 Grafana dashboard.

See Load Test multiple gRPC methods to see a tutorial that describes how to load test multiple methods from an gRPC service.

load-test-grpc

Before you begin

Try Your first performance test. Understand the main concepts behind.

Deploy the sample gRPC service in the Kubernetes cluster.

kubectl create deployment routeguide --image=golang --port=50051 \
-- bash -c "git clone -b v1.52.0 --depth 1 https://github.com/grpc/grpc-go; cd grpc-go/examples/route_guide; sed -i "''" "'"s/localhost//"'" server/server.go; go run server/server.go"
kubectl expose deployment routeguide --port=50051

Have Grafana available. For example, Grafana can be installed on your cluster as follows:

kubectl create deploy grafana --image=grafana/grafana
kubectl expose deploy grafana --port=3000

Install the Iter8 controller¶

HelmKustomize

Namespace scopedCluster scoped

helm install --repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.1.12 iter8 controller

helm install --repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.1.12 iter8 controller \
--set clusterScoped=true

Namespace scopedCluster scoped

kubectl apply -k 'https://github.com/iter8-tools/iter8.git/kustomize/controller/namespaceScoped?ref=v0.17.1'

kubectl apply -k 'https://github.com/iter8-tools/iter8.git/kustomize/controller/clusterScoped?ref=v0.17.1'

Launch performance test¶

Unary exampleServer streaming exampleClient streaming exampleBidirectional example

helm upgrade --install \
--repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.17 routeguide-test iter8 \
--set "tasks={ready,grpc}" \
--set ready.deploy=routeguide \
--set ready.service=routeguide \
--set ready.timeout=60s \
--set grpc.host=routeguide.default:50051 \
--set grpc.protoURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grpc/grpc-go/v1.52.0/examples/route_guide/routeguide/route_guide.proto \
--set grpc.call=routeguide.RouteGuide.GetFeature \
--set grpc.dataURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iter8-tools/docs/v0.13.13/samples/grpc-payload/unary.json

helm upgrade --install \
--repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.17 routeguide-test iter8 \
--set "tasks={ready,grpc}" \
--set ready.deploy=routeguide \
--set ready.service=routeguide \
--set ready.timeout=60s \
--set grpc.host=routeguide.default:50051 \
--set grpc.protoURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grpc/grpc-go/v1.52.0/examples/route_guide/routeguide/route_guide.proto \
--set grpc.call=routeguide.RouteGuide.ListFeatures \
--set grpc.dataURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iter8-tools/docs/v0.13.13/samples/grpc-payload/server.json

helm upgrade --install \
--repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.17 routeguide-test iter8 \
--set "tasks={ready,grpc}" \
--set ready.deploy=routeguide \
--set ready.service=routeguide \
--set ready.timeout=60s \
--set grpc.host=routeguide.default:50051 \
--set grpc.protoURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grpc/grpc-go/v1.52.0/examples/route_guide/routeguide/route_guide.proto \
--set grpc.call=routeguide.RouteGuide.RecordRoute \
--set grpc.dataURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iter8-tools/docs/v0.13.13/samples/grpc-payload/client.json

helm upgrade --install \
--repo https://iter8-tools.github.io/iter8 --version 0.17 routeguide-test iter8 \
--set "tasks={ready,grpc}" \
--set ready.deploy=routeguide \
--set ready.service=routeguide \
--set ready.timeout=60s \
--set grpc.host=routeguide.default:50051 \
--set grpc.protoURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grpc/grpc-go/v1.52.0/examples/route_guide/routeguide/route_guide.proto \
--set grpc.call=routeguide.RouteGuide.RouteChat \
--set grpc.dataURL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iter8-tools/docs/v0.13.13/samples/grpc-payload/bidirectional.json

About this performance test

This performance test consists of two tasks, namely, ready, and grpc.

The ready task checks if the routeguide deployment exists and is available, and the routeguide service exists.

The grpc task sends call requests to the specified method of the cluster-local gRPC service with host address routeguide.default:50051 and collects Iter8's built-in gRPC load test metrics. This task supports all four gRPC service methods: unary, server streaming, client streaming, and bidirectional streaming, and will provide payload in the appropriate manner using dataURL.

View results using Grafana¶

Inspect the metrics using Grafana. If Grafana is deployed to your cluster, port-forward requests as follows:

kubectl port-forward service/grafana 3000:3000

Open Grafana by going to http://localhost:3000.

Add a JSON API data source routeguide-test with the following parameters:

URL: http://iter8.default:8080/grpcDashboard
Query string: namespace=default&test=routeguide-test

Create a new dashboard by import. Paste the contents of the grpc Grafana dashboard into the text box and load it. Associate it with the JSON API data source defined above.

The Iter8 dashboard will look like the following:

grpc Iter8 dashboard

View logs¶

Logs are useful for debugging.

kubectl logs -l iter8.tools/test=routeguide-test

Cleanup¶

Remove the performance test and the sample app from the Kubernetes cluster.

helm delete routeguide-test
kubectl delete svc/routeguide
kubectl delete deploy/routeguide

Uninstall the Iter8 controller¶

HelmKustomize

helm delete iter8

Namespace scopedCluster scoped

kubectl delete -k 'https://github.com/iter8-tools/iter8.git/kustomize/controller/namespaceScoped?ref=v0.17.1'

kubectl delete -k 'https://github.com/iter8-tools/iter8.git/kustomize/controller/clusterScoped?ref=v0.17.1'

Some variations and extensions of this performance test

The grpc task can be configured with load related parameters such as the total number of requests, requests per second, or number of concurrent connections.