9 - **Frame size**: size of an Ethernet Layer-2 frame on the wire, including
10 any VLAN tags (dot1q, dot1ad) and Ethernet FCS, but excluding Ethernet
11 preamble and inter-frame gap. Measured in Bytes.
12 - **Packet size**: same as frame size, both terms used interchangeably.
13 - **Inner L2 size**: for tunneled L2 frames only, size of an encapsulated
14 Ethernet Layer-2 frame, preceded with tunnel header, and followed by
15 tunnel trailer. Measured in Bytes.
16 - **Inner IP size**: for tunneled IP packets only, size of an encapsulated
17 IPv4 or IPv6 packet, preceded with tunnel header, and followed by
18 tunnel trailer. Measured in Bytes.
19 - **Device Under Test (DUT)**: In software networking, "device" denotes a
20 specific piece of software tasked with packet processing. Such device
21 is surrounded with other software components (such as operating system
22 kernel). It is not possible to run devices without also running the
23 other components, and hardware resources are shared between both. For
24 purposes of testing, the whole set of hardware and software components
25 is called "System Under Test" (SUT). As SUT is the part of the whole
26 test setup performance of which can be measured with RFC2544, using
27 SUT instead of RFC2544 DUT. Device under test
28 (DUT) can be re-introduced when analyzing test results using whitebox
29 techniques, but this document sticks to blackbox testing.
30 - **System Under Test (SUT)**: System under test (SUT) is a part of the
31 whole test setup whose performance is to be benchmarked. The complete
32 methodology contains other parts, whose performance is either already
33 established, or not affecting the benchmarking result.
34 - **Bi-directional throughput tests**: involve packets/frames flowing in
35 both east-west and west-east directions over every tested interface of
36 SUT/DUT. Packet flow metrics are measured per direction, and can be
37 reported as aggregate for both directions (i.e. throughput) and/or
38 separately for each measured direction (i.e. latency). In most cases
39 bi-directional tests use the same (symmetric) load in both directions.
40 - **Uni-directional throughput tests**: involve packets/frames flowing in
41 only one direction, i.e. either east-west or west-east direction, over
42 every tested interface of SUT/DUT. Packet flow metrics are measured
43 and are reported for measured direction.
44 - **Packet Loss Ratio (PLR)**: ratio of packets received relative to packets
45 transmitted over the test trial duration, calculated using formula:
46 PLR = ( pkts_transmitted - pkts_received ) / pkts_transmitted.
47 For bi-directional throughput tests aggregate PLR is calculated based
48 on the aggregate number of packets transmitted and received.
49 - **Packet Throughput Rate**: maximum packet offered load DUT/SUT forwards
50 within the specified Packet Loss Ratio (PLR). In many cases the rate
51 depends on the frame size processed by DUT/SUT. Hence packet
52 throughput rate MUST be quoted with specific frame size as received by
53 DUT/SUT during the measurement. For bi-directional tests, packet
54 throughput rate should be reported as aggregate for both directions.
55 Measured in packets-per-second (pps) or frames-per-second (fps),
57 - **Bandwidth Throughput Rate**: a secondary metric calculated from packet
58 throughput rate using formula: bw_rate = pkt_rate * (frame_size +
59 L1_overhead) * 8, where L1_overhead for Ethernet includes preamble (8
60 Bytes) and inter-frame gap (12 Bytes). For bi-directional tests,
61 bandwidth throughput rate should be reported as aggregate for both
62 directions. Expressed in bits-per-second (bps).
63 - **Non Drop Rate (NDR)**: maximum packet/bandwith throughput rate sustained
64 by DUT/SUT at PLR equal zero (zero packet loss) specific to tested
65 frame size(s). MUST be quoted with specific packet size as received by
66 DUT/SUT during the measurement. Packet NDR measured in
67 packets-per-second (or fps), bandwidth NDR expressed in
68 bits-per-second (bps).
69 - **Partial Drop Rate (PDR)**: maximum packet/bandwith throughput rate
70 sustained by DUT/SUT at PLR greater than zero (non-zero packet loss)
71 specific to tested frame size(s). MUST be quoted with specific packet
72 size as received by DUT/SUT during the measurement. Packet PDR
73 measured in packets-per-second (or fps), bandwidth PDR expressed in
74 bits-per-second (bps).
75 - **Maximum Receive Rate (MRR)**: packet/bandwidth rate regardless of PLR
76 sustained by DUT/SUT under specified Maximum Transmit Rate (MTR)
77 packet load offered by traffic generator. MUST be quoted with both
78 specific packet size and MTR as received by DUT/SUT during the
79 measurement. Packet MRR measured in packets-per-second (or fps),
80 bandwidth MRR expressed in bits-per-second (bps).
81 - **Trial**: a single measurement step.
82 - **Trial duration**: amount of time over which packets are transmitted and
83 received in a single measurement step.