One document matched: draft-morton-bmwg-imix-genome-00.txt
Network Working Group A. Morton
Internet-Draft AT&T Labs
Intended status: Informational October 6, 2010
Expires: April 9, 2011
IMIX Genome: Specification of variable packet sizes for additional
testing
draft-morton-bmwg-imix-genome-00
Abstract
Benchmarking Methodologies have always relied on test conditions with
constant packet sizes, with the goal of understanding what network
device capability has been tested. Constant packets sizes differ
significantly from the conditions encountered in operational
deployment, and so additional tests are sometimes conducted with a
mixture of packet sizes, or "IMIX". The mixture of sizes a
networking device will encounter is highly variable and depends on
many factors. An IMIX suited for one networking device and
deployment will not be appropriate for another. However, the mix of
sizes may be known and the tester may be asked to augment the fixed
size tests. To address this need, and the additional goal of
repeatable test conditions, this draft proposes a way to specify the
exact repeating sequence of packet sizes from the usual set of fixed
sizes.
Requirements Language
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].
Status of this Memo
This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.
Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute
working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-
Drafts is at http://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.
Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."
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This Internet-Draft will expire on April 9, 2011.
Copyright Notice
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1. First Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Scope and Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Specification of the IMIX Genome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4. Reporting Long or Pseudo-Random Packet Sequences . . . . . . . 6
5. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
7. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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1. Introduction
This memo defines a method to unambiguously specify the sequence of
packet sizes used in a load test.
Benchmarking Methodologies [RFC2544] have always relied on test
conditions with constant packet sizes, with the goal of understanding
what network device capability has been tested. Tests with the
smallest size stress the header processing capacity, and tests with
the largest size stress the overall bit processing capacity. Tests
with sizes in-between may determine the transition between these two
capacities.
Constant packets sizes differ significantly from the conditions
encountered in operational deployment, and so additional tests are
sometimes conducted with a mixture of packet sizes. The set of sizes
used is often called an Internet Mix, or "IMIX" [Spirent], [IXIA],
[Agilent].
The mixture of sizes a networking device will encounter is highly
variable and depends on many factors. An IMIX suited for one
networking device and deployment will not be appropriate for another.
However, the mix of sizes may be known and the tester may be asked to
augment the fixed size tests.
To address this need, and the additional goal of repeatable test
conditions, this draft proposes a way to specify the exact repeating
sequence of packet sizes from the usual set of fixed sizes: the IMIX
Genome.
1.1. First Draft
In this first draft, some section are very short or to-be-provided
(TBP), and there are several questions identified for further
discussion.
2. Scope and Goals
This memo defines a method to unambiguously specify the sequence of
packet sizes that have been used in a load test, assuming that a
relevant mix of sizes is known to the tester and the length of the
repeating sequence is not very long (<30 packets).
The IMIX Genome will allow an exact sequence of packet sizes to be
communicated as a single-line name, resolving the current ambiguity
with results that simply refer to "IMIX".
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While documentation of the exact sequence is ideal, the memo also
covers the case where the sequence of sizes is very long or may be
generated by a pseudo-random process.
It is a colossal non-goal to standardize one or more versions of the
IMIX. This topic has been discussed on many occasions on the bmwg-
list[IMIXonList]. The goal is to enable customization with minimal
constraints while fostering repeatable testing once the fixed size
testing is complete.
3. Specification of the IMIX Genome
The IMIX Genome is specified in the following format:
IMIX - 123456...x
where each number is replaced by the letter corresponding to the
packet size of the packet at that position in the sequence. The
following table gives the letter encoding for the [RFC2544] standard
sizes (64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 1280, and 1518 bytes).
+-------------+--------------------+
| Size, bytes | Genome Code Letter |
+-------------+--------------------+
| 64 | a |
| 128 | b |
| 256 | c |
| 512 | d |
| 1024 | e |
| 1280 | f |
| 1518 | g |
| MTU ?? | h |
+-------------+--------------------+
For example: a five packet sequence with sizes 64,64,64,1280,1518
would be designated:
IMIX - aaafg
While this approach allows some flexibility, there are also
constraints.
o Non-RFC2544 packet sizes would need to be approximated by those
available in the table.
o The Genome for very long sequences can become undecipherable by
humans.
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o Whether h=MTU is useful/desirable is TBD.
o Whether more tabulated packet sizes would be useful is TBD.
Some open issues with this format are:
1. Multiple Source-Destination Address Pairs: is the IMIX sequence
applicable to each pair, across multiple pairs in sets, or across
all pairs?
2. Multiple Tester Ports:is the IMIX sequence applicable to each
port, across multiple ports in sets, or across all ports?
4. Reporting Long or Pseudo-Random Packet Sequences
When the IMIX-Genome cannot be used (when the sheer length of the
sequence would make the genome unmanageable) or when the sequence is
designed to vary within some proportional constraints, a table is
necessary.
+-----------+---------------------+-----------------+
| IP Length | Percentage of Total | Other Length(s) |
+-----------+---------------------+-----------------+
| 64 | 23 | 82 |
| 128 | 67 | 146 |
| 1000 | 10 | 1018 |
+-----------+---------------------+-----------------+
Note that this approach also allows non-standard packet sizes, but
trades the short genome specification and ability to specify the
exact sequence for other flexibilities.
>>> Specification for psuedo-random size generation here? <<<
5. Security Considerations
Benchmarking activities as described in this memo are limited to
technology characterization using controlled stimuli in a laboratory
environment, with dedicated address space and the other constraints
[RFC2544].
The benchmarking network topology will be an independent test setup
and MUST NOT be connected to devices that may forward the test
traffic into a production network, or misroute traffic to the test
management network.
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Further, benchmarking is performed on a "black-box" basis, relying
solely on measurements observable external to the DUT/SUT.
Special capabilities SHOULD NOT exist in the DUT/SUT specifically for
benchmarking purposes. Any implications for network security arising
from the DUT/SUT SHOULD be identical in the lab and in production
networks.
6. IANA Considerations
This memo makes no requests of IANA, and hopes that IANA will leave
it alone as well.
7. Acknowledgements
8. References
8.1. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
[RFC2544] Bradner, S. and J. McQuaid, "Benchmarking Methodology for
Network Interconnect Devices", RFC 2544, March 1999.
8.2. Informative References
[Agilent] http://www.ixiacom.com/pdfs/test_plans/
agilent_journal_of_internet_test_methodologies.pdf, "The
Journal of Internet Test Methodologies", 2007.
[IMIXonList]
http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/bmwg/current/
msg00691.html, "Discussion on IMIX", 2003.
[IXIA] http://www.ixiacom.com/library/test_plans/
display?skey=testing_pppox, "Library: Test Plans", 2010.
[Spirent] http://gospirent.com/whitepaper/
IMIX%20Test%20Methodolgy%20Journal.pdf, "Test Methodology
Journal: IMIX (Internet Mix) Journal", 2006.
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Author's Address
Al Morton
AT&T Labs
200 Laurel Avenue South
Middletown,, NJ 07748
USA
Phone: +1 732 420 1571
Fax: +1 732 368 1192
Email: acmorton@att.com
URI: http://home.comcast.net/~acmacm/
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