--- title: "Workload endpoint" description: "Reference for the WorkloadEndpoint resource in Calico Open Source that represents a pod or VM interface for policy and IPAM." product: "Calico Open Source" version: "3.32 (latest)" section: "Reference" canonical_url: "https://docs.tigera.io/calico/latest/reference/resources/workloadendpoint" --- # Workload endpoint A workload endpoint resource (`WorkloadEndpoint`) represents an interface connecting a Calico networked container or VM to its host. Each endpoint may specify a set of labels and list of profiles that Calico will use to apply policy to the interface. A workload endpoint is a namespaced resource, that means a [NetworkPolicy](https://docs.tigera.io/calico/latest/reference/resources/networkpolicy.md) in a specific namespace only applies to the WorkloadEndpoint in that namespace. Two resources are in the same namespace if the namespace value is set the same on both. > **SECONDARY:** While `calicoctl` allows the user to fully manage Workload Endpoint resources, the lifecycle of these resources is generally handled by an orchestrator-specific plugin such as the Calico CNI plugin, the Calico Docker network plugin, or the Calico OpenStack Neutron Driver. In general, we recommend that you only use `calicoctl` to view this resource type. ## Sample YAML ```yaml apiVersion: projectcalico.org/v3 kind: WorkloadEndpoint metadata: name: node1-k8s-my--nginx--b1337a-eth0 namespace: default labels: app: frontend projectcalico.org/namespace: default projectcalico.org/orchestrator: k8s spec: node: node1 orchestrator: k8s endpoint: eth0 containerID: 1337495556942031415926535 pod: my-nginx-b1337a endpoint: eth0 interfaceName: cali0ef24ba mac: ca:fe:1d:52:bb:e9 ipNetworks: - 192.168.0.0/32 profiles: - profile1 ports: - name: some-port port: 1234 protocol: TCP - name: another-port port: 5432 protocol: UDP ``` ## Definitions ### Metadata | Field | Description | Accepted Values | Schema | Default | | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- | ------ | --------- | | name | The name of this workload endpoint resource. Required. | Alphanumeric string with optional `.`, `_`, or `-` | string | | | namespace | Namespace provides an additional qualification to a resource name. | | string | "default" | | labels | A set of labels to apply to this endpoint. | | map | | ### Spec | Field | Description | Accepted Values | Schema | Default | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------- | | workload | The name of the workload to which this endpoint belongs. | | string | | | orchestrator | The orchestrator that created this endpoint. | | string | | | node | The node where this endpoint resides. | | string | | | containerID | The CNI CONTAINER\_ID of the workload endpoint. | | string | | | pod | Kubernetes pod name for this workload endpoint. | | string | | | endpoint | Container network interface name. | | string | | | ipNetworks | The CIDRs assigned to the interface. | | List of strings | | | ipNATs | List of 1:1 NAT mappings to apply to the endpoint. | | List of [IPNATs](#ipnat) | | | ipv4Gateway | The gateway IPv4 address for traffic from the workload. | | string | | | ipv6Gateway | The gateway IPv6 address for traffic from the workload. | | string | | | profiles | List of profiles assigned to this endpoint. | | List of strings | | | interfaceName | The name of the host-side interface attached to the workload. | | string | | | mac | The source MAC address of traffic generated by the workload. | | IEEE 802 MAC-48, EUI-48, or EUI-64 | | | ports | List on named ports that this workload exposes. | | List of [WorkloadEndpointPorts](#endpointport) | | ### IPNAT IPNAT contains a single NAT mapping for a WorkloadEndpoint resource. | Field | Description | Accepted Values | Schema | Default | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------ | ------- | | internalIP | The internal IP address of the NAT mapping. | A valid IP address | string | | | externalIP | The external IP address. | A valid IP address | string | | ### EndpointPort A WorkloadEndpointPort associates a name with a particular TCP/UDP/SCTP port of the endpoint, allowing it to be referenced as a named port in [policy rules](https://docs.tigera.io/calico/latest/reference/resources/networkpolicy.md#entityrule). | Field | Description | Accepted Values | Schema | Default | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ------ | ------- | | name | The name to attach to this port, allowing it to be referred to in [policy rules](https://docs.tigera.io/calico/latest/reference/resources/networkpolicy.md#entityrule). Names must be unique within an endpoint. | | string | | | protocol | The protocol of this named port. | `TCP`, `UDP`, `SCTP` | string | | | port | The workload port number. | `1`-`65535` | int | | | hostPort | Port on the host that is forwarded to this port. | `1`-`65535` | int | | | hostIP | IP address on the host on which the hostPort is accessible. | `1`-`65535` | int | | > **SECONDARY:** On their own, WorkloadEndpointPort entries don't result in any change to the connectivity of the port. They only have an effect if they are referred to in policy. > **SECONDARY:** The hostPort and hostIP fields are read-only and determined from Kubernetes hostPort configuration. These fields are used only when host ports are enabled in Calico.