# Service Mesh Performance > Standard for capturing and characterising the details of infrastructure capacity, service mesh configuration, and workload metadata. **Wikidata**: [Q109609314](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109609314) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/service-mesh-performance ## Summary Service Mesh Performance (SMP) is a standard for capturing and characterizing infrastructure capacity, service mesh configuration, and workload metadata. Developed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), it provides a structured format for measuring and benchmarking the performance of service mesh environments. The specification is open-source software distributed under the Apache Software License 2.0. ## Key Facts - **Developer:** Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). - **License:** Apache Software License 2.0. - **Website:** https://smp-spec.io/ - **Latest Version:** 0.6.1 (released July 18, 2023). - **Initial Release:** Version 0.1.0 was released on June 23, 2020. - **Aliases:** Also known as SMP, SMP spec, or smp-spec. - **Classification:** It is classified as free software. - **Repository:** Source code is hosted at https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance. - **Copyright Status:** Copyrighted. ## FAQs ### Q: What is the primary purpose of Service Mesh Performance? A: SMP provides a standard method for capturing details regarding infrastructure capacity, service mesh configurations, and workload metadata. This allows for consistent characterization and benchmarking of service mesh performance. ### Q: Is Service Mesh Performance free to use? A: Yes, it is classified as free software distributed under the Apache Software License 2.0, allowing users to run, study, change, and distribute it. ### Q: When was the first version of Service Mesh Performance released? A: The first version, 0.1.0, was released on June 23, 2020. ### Q: Where can the source code for SMP be found? A: The source code repository is located on GitHub at https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance. ## Why It Matters Service Mesh Performance (SMP) addresses the critical need for standardization in the benchmarking and analysis of service mesh technologies. As service meshes become integral to cloud-native infrastructure for managing microservices, the ability to accurately measure and compare performance metrics is essential. Without a common standard, evaluating infrastructure capacity, overhead, and configuration efficiency across different environments or mesh implementations is inconsistent and difficult. By defining a specification for workload metadata and configuration details, SMP enables organizations and developers to capture reproducible performance data. This facilitates better decision-making regarding infrastructure scaling and mesh configuration. The project's backing by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) ensures it aligns with industry best practices and integrates into the broader cloud-native ecosystem. ## Notable For - **Standardization:** It provides the industry's dedicated standard specifically for characterizing service mesh performance and infrastructure capacity. - **Open Governance:** It is developed under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, ensuring a vendor-neutral approach to performance benchmarking. - **Rapid Evolution:** The project released multiple iterations in its first year (v0.1.0 to v0.3.2 between June 2020 and January 2021), showing active development. - **Accessibility:** The specification and its tools are freely accessible via its website and GitHub repository under an Apache 2.0 license. ## Body ### Definition and Scope Service Mesh Performance (SMP) is a specification designed to standardize the way data regarding service mesh environments is captured. It focuses on three main areas of data: 1. **Infrastructure Capacity:** Details regarding the underlying resources available to the mesh. 2. **Service Mesh Configuration:** Specific settings and parameters applied to the service mesh. 3. **Workload Metadata:** Information describing the tasks and applications running on the mesh. The standard aims to characterize these details to facilitate performance analysis. ### Development and Governance The project is developed and maintained by the **Cloud Native Computing Foundation**. It is categorized as **free software**, allowing users to freely run, study, modify, and distribute the code. The project is copyrighted but licensed openly to foster community contribution and adoption. ### Version History The SMP specification has evolved through several releases since its inception in 2020. Key milestones in its timeline include: * **2020 Releases:** * **v0.1.0:** Released June 23, 2020 (Initial release). * **v0.2.0:** Released September 5, 2020. * **v0.2.1:** Released September 8, 2020. * **v0.3.0:** Released October 13, 2020. * **v0.3.1:** Released November 1, 2020. * **2021-2023 Releases:** * **v0.3.2:** Released January 25, 2021. * **v0.3.4:** Released March 16, 2022. * **v0.6.0:** Released July 17, 2023. * **v0.6.1:** Released July 18, 2023 (Listed as the preferred version). ### Availability The project is accessible primarily through its official website **smp-spec.io** and its **GitHub repository**. The repository serves as the central hub for the source code and issue tracking. ## References 1. [Source](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance) 2. [Source](https://smp-spec.io/) 3. [Release 0.1.0. 2020](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.1.0) 4. [Release 0.2.0. 2020](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.2.0) 5. [Release 0.2.1. 2020](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.2.1) 6. [Release 0.3.0. 2020](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.3.0) 7. [Release 0.3.1. 2020](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.3.1) 8. [Release 0.3.2. 2021](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.3.2) 9. [Release 0.3.4. 2022](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.3.4) 10. [Release 0.6.0. 2023](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.6.0) 11. [Release 0.6.1. 2023](https://github.com/service-mesh-performance/service-mesh-performance/releases/tag/v0.6.1)