---
reviewers:
- Random-Liu
title: Validate node setup
weight: 30
---

## Node Conformance Test

*Node conformance test* is a containerized test framework that provides a system
verification and functionality test for a node. The test validates whether the
node meets the minimum requirements for Kubernetes; a node that passes the test
is qualified to join a Kubernetes cluster.

## Node Prerequisite

To run node conformance test, a node must satisfy the same prerequisites as a
standard Kubernetes node. At a minimum, the node should have the following
daemons installed:

* CRI-compatible container runtimes such as Docker, containerd and CRI-O
* kubelet

## Running Node Conformance Test

To run the node conformance test, perform the following steps:

1. Work out the value of the `--kubeconfig` option for the kubelet; for example:
   `--kubeconfig=/var/lib/kubelet/config.yaml`.
    Because the test framework starts a local control plane to test the kubelet,
    use `http://localhost:8080` as the URL of the API server.
    There are some other kubelet command line parameters you may want to use:
  
   * `--cloud-provider`: If you are using `--cloud-provider=gce`, you should
     remove the flag to run the test.

1. Run the node conformance test with command:

   ```shell
   # $CONFIG_DIR is the pod manifest path of your kubelet.
   # $LOG_DIR is the test output path.
   sudo docker run -it --rm --privileged --net=host \
     -v /:/rootfs -v $CONFIG_DIR:$CONFIG_DIR -v $LOG_DIR:/var/result \
     registry.k8s.io/node-test:0.2
   ```

## Running Node Conformance Test for Other Architectures

Kubernetes also provides node conformance test docker images for other
architectures:

|  Arch  |       Image       |
|--------|:-----------------:|
|  amd64 |  node-test-amd64  |
|  arm   |   node-test-arm   |
| arm64  |  node-test-arm64  |

## Running Selected Test

To run specific tests, overwrite the environment variable `FOCUS` with the
regular expression of tests you want to run.

```shell
sudo docker run -it --rm --privileged --net=host \
  -v /:/rootfs:ro -v $CONFIG_DIR:$CONFIG_DIR -v $LOG_DIR:/var/result \
  -e FOCUS=MirrorPod \ # Only run MirrorPod test
  registry.k8s.io/node-test:0.2
```

To skip specific tests, overwrite the environment variable `SKIP` with the
regular expression of tests you want to skip.

```shell
sudo docker run -it --rm --privileged --net=host \
  -v /:/rootfs:ro -v $CONFIG_DIR:$CONFIG_DIR -v $LOG_DIR:/var/result \
  -e SKIP=MirrorPod \ # Run all conformance tests but skip MirrorPod test
  registry.k8s.io/node-test:0.2
```

Node conformance test is a containerized version of
[node e2e test](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/main/contributors/devel/sig-node/e2e-node-tests.md).
By default, it runs all conformance tests.

Theoretically, you can run any node e2e test if you configure the container and
mount required volumes properly. But **it is strongly recommended to only run conformance
test**, because it requires much more complex configuration to run non-conformance test.

## Caveats

* The test leaves some docker images on the node, including the node conformance
  test image and images of containers used in the functionality
  test.
* The test leaves dead containers on the node. These containers are created
  during the functionality test.