Networking

Configure ros-z's Zenoh transport layer for optimal performance in your deployment environment. ros-z uses router-based architecture by default, matching ROS 2's official rmw_zenoh_cpp middleware for production-ready scalability.

graph TB
    Router["zenohd <br> (router)"]

    Talker["Talker node <br> (peer)"]
    Listener["Listener node <br> (peer)"]

    Router <-->|Discovery| Talker
    Router <-->|Discovery| Listener
    Talker <-.->|P2P Communication| Listener

Router-Based Architecture

ros-z uses a centralized Zenoh router for node discovery and communication, providing:

Quick Start

The default ros-z configuration connects to a Zenoh router on tcp/localhost:7447:

use ros_z::context::ZContextBuilder;
use ros_z::Builder;

// Uses default ROS session config (connects to tcp/localhost:7447)
let ctx = ZContextBuilder::default().build()?;
let node = ctx.create_node("my_node").build()?;

Running the Zenoh Router

ros-z applications require a Zenoh router to be running. There are several ways to get one - choose based on your environment and requirements.

Quick Comparison

Method 1: Cargo Install

Recommended for Rust developers building standalone projects.

Install the official Zenoh router using Cargo:

cargo install zenohd

Run the router:

zenohd

Pros:

• Always up-to-date with latest Zenoh
• Builds optimized for your system
• Easy to update: cargo install zenohd --force

Cons:

• Requires Rust toolchain
• Takes 2-5 minutes to compile

Method 2: Pre-built Binary

Fastest way to get started without Rust installed.

Download: Go to the Zenoh Releases page and download the appropriate archive for your platform:

• Linux (x86_64): zenoh-*-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-standalone.zip
• macOS (Apple Silicon): zenoh-*-aarch64-apple-darwin-standalone.zip
• macOS (Intel): zenoh-*-x86_64-apple-darwin-standalone.zip
• Windows: zenoh-*-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc-standalone.zip

Extract and run:

Linux/macOS:

unzip zenoh-*.zip
chmod +x zenohd
./zenohd

Windows (PowerShell):

Expand-Archive zenoh-*.zip
.\zenoh\zenohd.exe

Pros:

• No build tools required
• Instant startup
• Portable - can run from any directory

Cons:

• Manual download and extraction
• Need to track updates yourself

More info: https://zenoh.io/docs/getting-started/installation/

Method 3: Docker

Perfect for containerized deployments and CI/CD pipelines.

Pull and run the official Zenoh router image:

docker run --init --net host eclipse/zenoh:latest

For production with persistent config:

docker run -d \
  --name zenoh-router \
  --net host \
  -v /path/to/config:/zenoh/config \
  eclipse/zenoh:latest \
  --config /zenoh/config/zenoh.json5

Pros:

• Isolated from host system
• Easy to deploy and scale
• Works great in Kubernetes/Docker Compose
• Consistent across environments

Cons:

• Requires Docker installed
• Network setup can be tricky (use --net host for simplicity)

Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/eclipse/zenoh/tags

Method 4: Package Manager (apt, brew)

Best for system-wide installation on Linux/macOS.

Ubuntu/Debian (via apt):

echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://download.eclipse.org/zenoh/debian-repo/ /" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zenoh.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install zenoh

Run as a service:

sudo systemctl enable zenoh
sudo systemctl start zenoh

Or run manually:

zenohd

macOS (via Homebrew):

brew tap eclipse-zenoh/homebrew-zenoh
brew install zenoh
zenohd

Arch Linux (via AUR):

yay -S zenoh
zenohd

Pros:

• System-wide installation
• Easy updates via package manager
• Can run as systemd service (Linux)
• Integrates with OS security/firewall settings

Cons:

• May not have the absolute latest version
• Requires sudo/admin privileges

Method 5: ros-z Example Router

Only available when working in the ros-z repository - perfect for quick development/testing.

If you've cloned the ros-z repository:

cd /path/to/ros-z
cargo run --example zenoh_router

This runs a pre-configured router that matches ros-z defaults exactly.

Pros:

• No installation needed
• Already configured for ros-z
• Useful for debugging ros-z itself

Cons:

• Only available in the ros-z repository
• Not suitable for standalone projects
• Slower startup (rebuilds if code changes)

Method 6: ROS 2 rmw_zenoh

Use this if you have ROS 2 installed and want to test interoperability with ROS 2 nodes.

If you have ROS 2 Jazzy or newer with the Zenoh middleware:

ros2 run rmw_zenoh_cpp rmw_zenohd

Pros:

• Already installed with ROS 2 Jazzy+
• Guaranteed compatibility with ROS 2 nodes
• Can interoperate ros-z nodes with C++/Python ROS 2 nodes

Cons:

• Requires full ROS 2 installation
• Overkill if you only want to use ros-z

Verifying the Router is Running

After starting a router with any method above, verify it's working:

Check the router is listening on port 7447:

# Linux/macOS
netstat -an | grep 7447

# Or use lsof
lsof -i :7447

Test with a ros-z application:

# In another terminal, try running a ros-z node
# If it connects successfully, the router is working

You should see log output from the router showing connections when your ros-z nodes start.

Next Steps

Choose the configuration approach that fits your needs:

• Configuration Options - Six ways to configure Zenoh (from simple to complex)
• Advanced Configuration - Generate config files, run routers, configuration reference
• Troubleshooting - Solutions to connectivity issues

Ready to optimize your deployment? Experiment with different configurations and measure performance impact.