The disclosure provides an approach for performance management. Embodiments include receiving, at a port of a router, a transport control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol (UDP) packet generated by a performance component of the router. Embodiments include identifying, by the router, a rule related to the TCP or UDP packet. Embodiments include forwarding, by the router, the packet to an interface of a kernel based on the rule. Embodiments include receiving, by the performance component, in response to the TCP or UDP packet, an additional packet from the interface of the kernel. Embodiments include determining, by the performance component, a performance metric based on the TCP or UDP packet and the additional packet.