KC-Brainware Bridge Networking

Overview

!This only refers to original KC Brainware installations. This is not compatible with the KC Virtual Brain product.

After reviewing installations of the KC Brainware 5/25/50 units in the field, we have seen easier installations on all networks when Bridge networking is used compared to macvlan. In order to set the KC Brainware 5/25/50 units to Bridge you will send the following command while SSH’d into the server unit

• kramer config set docker.brain.network.type=bridge
  

Bridge network vs macvlan network

This is not a true definition of these networking terms. In the Kramer Control, KC Brainware, installation we have the two options of Bridge or macvlan.

Macvlan

Our default method is to use macvlan which use a docker network and a CIDR address to create a Brain with a unique IP address on the clients network.

Bridge

This option will also use a docker network but instead of unique IP addresses per Brain, you will get a new port. The IP address of the Brain would use the KC Brainware 5/25/50 host IP address (the same address that you would use to SSH into the unit to access the config) and create a new port for each Brain installed on the hardware.

• Example of a KC Brainware 5 unit with bridge mode enabled
  • Brain 1 = 192.168.1.10:8000
  • Brain 2 = 192.168.1.10:8001
  • Brain 3 = 192.168.1.10:8002
  • Brain 4 = 192.168.1.10:8003
  • Brain 5 = 192.168.1.10:8004

Which is better for your installation?

Both networking modes are supported by the KC Brainware and Docker systems. In our testing and from responses we have received back from the field the Bridge option is much easier to setup on a larger variety of networks. Initially, we thought macvlan would be a better solution since each Brain would then have its own IP address, much like our SL hardware does when multiple units are installed on the same network. The difficulty has been explaining to IT groups how the docker service inside this hardware is acting like a router and creating new IP addresses with unique MAC addresses. By using the bridge option, the IT manager only needs to know the IP of the KC Brainware hardware and the MAC address to setup a reservation on their network and the rest of the Brains function as expected.

The Kramer Control client application can connect to Brains on a different port by entering the IP address as shown above in the KC Brainware 5 example.