Container Network Interface (CNI)

Container Network Interface, or CNI, is a specification for configuring network connectivity for containers. It defines how containers are connected to or disconnected from a network during runtime. CNI is primarily used in container platforms and orchestration systems such as Kubernetes. CNI plugins can provide functions such as IP address allocation, network interface configuration, routing and additional networking capabilities. Depending on the plugin, different network architectures and security requirements can be implemented. The standardised interface enables organisations to integrate various networking solutions into container infrastructures without modifying the underlying container runtime. CNI therefore provides an important foundation for communication between containers, applications and other network resources.