A Performance Evaluation of Unikernels ∗

The unikernel architectural model is a relatively recent development, adopted by several new computing platforms, which claims improved performance in cloud applications by eliminating unnecessary software components from virtual machines. To validate these published claims and explore the suitability of two existing unikernel implementations, Mirage OS and OSv, we present a set of realistic macrobenchmarks, using established network performance measurement tools, that compare the performance of standard network applications against a non-unikernel Linux system. Although the performance data produced by these macrobenchmarks suggest that the unikernel model indeed offers performance improvements, we believe our experience shows that the tested unikernel platforms are not yet ready for deployment in production environments.