> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://platform9.com/kb/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://platform9.com/kb/pmk/solutions/bird-is-not-ready-error-executing-command.md).

# BIRD is not ready: Error executing command: read unix @->/var/run/calico/bird.ctl: i/o timeout

## Problem

* Pod networking is misbehaving.
* A description of the `calico-node` pod(s) show that `calico/node is not ready: BIRD is not ready` .

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
I1205 19:21:04.404697   18222 prober.go:117] Readiness probe for "calico-node-pwbdk_kube-system(efbd1219-5082-4075-8457-d5dcf11420ee):calico-node" failed (failure): calico/node is not ready: BIRD is not ready: Error executing command: read unix @->/var/run/calico/bird.ctl: i/o timeout

I1205 19:21:42.416027   18222 prober.go:117] Readiness probe for "calico-node-pwbdk_kube-system(efbd1219-5082-4075-8457-d5dcf11420ee):calico-node" failed (failure): calico/node is not ready: BIRD is not ready: Error querying BIRD: unable to connect to BIRDv4 socket: dial unix /var/run/calico/bird.ctl: connect: resource temporarily unavailable

I1205 19:22:28.134765   18222 prober.go:117] Liveness probe for "calico-node-pwbdk_kube-system(efbd1219-5082-4075-8457-d5dcf11420ee):calico-node" failed (failure): calico/node is not ready: Felix is not live: liveness probe reporting 503
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Environment

* Platform9 Managed Kubernetes - v5.3 and Higher
* Calico- v3.18
* IPVS
* Felix

## Cause

BIRD is consuming an excessive amount of CPU which can lead to timeouts (see: <https://github.com/projectcalico/bird/issues/95>).

## Workaround

1. List the `calico-node` pods within the `kube-system` namespace.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
kubectl get pods -n kube-system -l k8s-app=calico-node -o wide
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
$ kubectl get pods -n kube-system -l k8s-app=calico-node -o wide
NAME                READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE   IP               NODE          NOMINATED NODE   READINESS GATES
calico-node-6l5cd   0/1     Running   6          13d   10.128.146.142   master3   <none>           <none>
calico-node-9zzkn   1/1     Running   1          13d   10.128.147.139   worker1   <none>           <none>
calico-node-dbrd2   0/1     Running   5          13d   10.128.147.193   master1   <none>           <none>
calico-node-hx9rp   0/1     Running   7          13d   10.128.146.62    master2   <none>           <none>
calico-node-zbn6h   1/1     Running   0          13d   10.128.147.195   worker2   <none>           <none>
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

2. Identify which pod(s) are affected.
3. Retrieve the Calico BIRD configuration file from the `calico-node` pod (corresponding to the node which is exhibiting the problem symptom).

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
kubectl exec -i -n kube-system __POD__ -c calico-node -- cp -v /etc/calico/confd/config/bird.cfg /var/run/calico/bird.cfg
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

4. Edit the configuration file locally and modify the `scan time` fields from `scan time 2;` to `scan time 10;`

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
sed 's/scan time 2\;/scan time 10\;/g' /var/run/calico/bird.cfg
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

5. Copy the updated BIRD configuration back into the `calico-node` pod.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
kubectl exec -i -n kube-system __POD__ -c calico-node -- cp -v /var/run/calico/bird.cfg /etc/calico/confd/config/bird.cfg
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

6. Reload the BIRD configuration (from within the `calico-node pod`).

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
kubectl exec -i -n kube-system calico-node-6l5cd -c calico-node -- birdcl configure
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
# birdcl configure
BIRD v0.3.3+birdv1.6.8 ready.
Reading configuration from /etc/calico/confd/config/bird.cfg
Reconfigured
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Attention**

**Note:** The above steps are a temporary workaround and will not be persisted beyond the lifetime of the pod (i.e. the updated configuration will be lost if the pod is killed).
{% endhint %}

## Resolution

A fix has been included in the LTS3 release, which has Calico v3.24 and K8s v1.25. This issue was tracked as part of the jira AIR-1104.


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