Release Notes
=============
-Changes in CSIT |release|
+Changes in |csit-release|
-------------------------
-#. **VPP performance tests**
+#. VPP PERFORMANCE TESTS
- - *MRR tests* - New Maximum Receive Rate tests measure the packet
- forwarding rate under the maximum load offered by traffic
- generator over a set trial duration, regardless of packet loss.
- MRR tests are used for continuous performance trending and for
- comparison between releases.
+ - CSIT test environment is versioned, see
+ :ref:`test_environment_versioning`.
- - *Service Chaining with SRv6* - New SRv6 (Segment Routing IPv6) proxy
- tests measure performance of SRv6 Endpoint fronting SR-unaware
- appliance via masquerading (End.AM), dynamic proxy (End.AD) or
- static proxy (End.AS) SR functions.
+ - **GENEVE tests**: Added VPP performance tests for GENEVE tunnels.
+ See :ref:`geneve_methodology` for more details.
-#. **Presentation and Analytics Layer**
- - *Performance trending* - Added continuous performance trending and
- analysis. New Performance Trending and Performance Analysis jobs
- executed regular throughput tests, with results being subsequently
- analysed and trend and anomalies summarized and presented in VPP
- Performance Dashboard and trendline graphs.
+ - **GSO tests**: Added VPP performance tests for GSOtap and GSOvirtio.
+ All tested topologies are compared with GSO enabled and disabled.
+ In |csit-release| there is only 1t1c tests running.
+ See :ref:`gso_methodology` for more details.
-#. **Test Framework Optimizations**
- - *Performance tests efficiency* - Qemu build/install optimizations,
- warmup phase handling, vpp restart handling. Resulted in improved
- stability and reduced total execution time by 30% for single pkt
- size e.g. 64B/78B.
+ - **NAT44 tests**: Added new test type, pure throughput tests.
+ They are similar to PPS tests, but they employ ramp-up trials
+ to ensure all sessions are created (and not timing out)
+ for performance trials.
- - *General code housekeeping* - ongoing RF keywords optimizations,
- removal of redundant RF keywords.
+ - **Jumbo for ipsec**: Test cases with 9000 byte frames are re-enabled
+ in ipsec suites.
-Performance Changes
--------------------
+ - **Randomized profiles**: Improved repeatability and cycle length.
+ For details, see :ref:`packet_flow_ordering`.
-Relative performance changes in measured packet throughput in CSIT
-|release| are calculated against the results from CSIT |release-1|
-report. Listed mean and standard deviation values are computed based on
-a series of the same tests executed against respective VPP releases to
-verify test results repeatibility, with percentage change calculated for
-mean values. Note that the standard deviation is quite high for a small
-number of packet throughput tests, what indicates poor test results
-repeatability and makes the relative change of mean throughput value not
-fully representative for these tests. The root causes behind poor
-results repeatibility vary between the test cases.
+ - **Arm 2n-tx2 testbed**: New physical testbed type installed in
+ FD.io CSIT, with VPP and DPDK performance data added to CSIT
+ trending and this report.
-NDR Changes
-~~~~~~~~~~~
+ - **Framework speedup**: Shortened overall test job duration
+ by using a different test selection mechanism (using --test
+ instead of --include) and by avoiding unnecessary PAPI reconnects.
-NDR small packet throughput changes between releases are available in a
-CSV and pretty ASCII formats:
+#. TEST FRAMEWORK
- - `csv format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-ndr.csv>`_,
- - `csv format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-ndr.csv>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-ndr.txt>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-ndr.txt>`_.
+ - **TRex ASTF**: Improved capability to run TRex in advanced stateful mode.
-.. note::
+ - **CSIT PAPI support**: Due to issues with PAPI performance, VAT is
+ still used in CSIT for all VPP scale tests. See known issues below.
- Test results have been generated by
- `FD.io test executor vpp performance jobs`_ with Robot Framework result
- files csit-vpp-perf-|srelease|-\*.zip `archived here <../_static/archive/>`_.
+ - **General Code Housekeeping**: Ongoing code optimizations,
+ speed ups and bug fixes.
-PDR Changes
-~~~~~~~~~~~
+#. PRESENTATION AND ANALYTICS LAYER
-NDR small packet throughput changes between releases are available in a
-CSV and pretty ASCII formats:
+ - **Graphs improvements**: Updated Packet Latency graphs,
+ see :ref:`latency_methodology`.
- - `csv format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-pdr.csv>`_,
- - `csv format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-pdr.csv>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-pdr.txt>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-pdr.txt>`_.
+.. raw:: latex
-.. note::
+ \clearpage
- Test results have been generated by
- `FD.io test executor vpp performance jobs`_ with Robot Framework result
- files csit-vpp-perf-|srelease|-\*.zip `archived here <../_static/archive/>`_.
-
-MRR Changes
-~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-MRR small packet throughput changes between releases are available in a
-CSV and pretty ASCII formats:
-
- - `csv format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-mrr.csv>`_,
- - `csv format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-mrr.csv>`_,
- - `csv format for 4t4c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-4t4c-mrr.csv>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 1t1c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-1t1c-mrr.txt>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 2t2c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-2t2c-mrr.txt>`_,
- - `pretty ASCII format for 4t4c <../_static/vpp/performance-changes-4t4c-mrr.txt>`_.
-
-.. note::
-
- Test results have been generated by
- `FD.io test executor vpp mrr jobs <https://jenkins.fd.io/view/csit/job/csit-vpp-perf-mrr-daily-master/>`_
- with Robot Framework result files csit-vpp-perf-mrr-daily-master__*__output.xml.gz
- `archived here <https://docs.fd.io/csit/master/trending/_static/archive/>`_.
-
-Comparison Across Testbeds
---------------------------
-
-.. warning::
-
- TODO: Add:
-
- Table 1.
- Test Case 3-Node Hsw 3-Node Skx Skx vs. Hsw Delta [%]
-
- Table 2.
- Test Case 3-Node Skx 2-Node Skx 2-Node vs. 3-Node Delta [%]
-
-Throughput Trending
--------------------
-
-In addition to reporting throughput changes between VPP releases, CSIT
-provides continuous performance trending for VPP master branch:
-
-#. `VPP Performance Dashboard <https://docs.fd.io/csit/master/trending/introduction/index.html>`_
- - per VPP test case throughput trend, trend compliance and summary of
- detected anomalies.
-
-#. `Trending Methodology <https://docs.fd.io/csit/master/trending/methodology/index.html>`_
- - throughput test metrics, trend calculations and anomaly
- classification (progression, regression, outlier).
-
-#. `Trendline Graphs <https://docs.fd.io/csit/master/trending/trending/index.html>`_
- - per VPP build MRR throughput measurements against the trendline
- with anomaly highlights, with associated CSIT test jobs.
+.. _vpp_known_issues:
Known Issues
------------
-List of known issues in CSIT |release| for VPP performance tests:
-
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
-| # | Issue | Jira ID | Description |
-+===+=================================================+============+=================================================================+
-| 1 | Sporadic (1 in 200) NDR discovery test failures | CSIT-570 | DPDK reporting rx-errors, indicating L1 issue. Suspected issue |
-| | on x520. | | with HW combination of X710-X520 in LF testbeds. Not observed |
-| | | | outside of LF testbeds. |
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
-| 2 | Lower than expected NDR throughput of DPDK | CSIT-571 | Suspected NIC firmware or DPDK driver issue affecting NDR and |
-| | testpmd and VPP L2 path NDR throughput with | | PDR throughput on XL710 and X710 NICs. |
-| | xl710 and x710 NICs, compared to x520 NICs. | | |
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
-| 3 | Tagged Ethernet dot1q and dot1ad L2 path | CSIT-1066 | Tagged Ethernet dot1q and dot1ad L2 path throughput regression: |
-| | throughput regression. | | NDR -2%..-5%, PDR -2%..-6%, MRR. Affects l2xc and l2bd |
-| | | | performance tests. |
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
-| 4 | IPSec (software, no QAT HW) throughput | CSIT-1064 | IPSec throughput regression: NDR -3%..-8%, PDR -2%..-8%, MRR |
-| | regression. | | -3%..-7%. Affects IPSec SW tests, QAT HW tests not affected. |
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
-| 5 | High failure rate of creating working container | CSIT-1065 | About 20% of orchestrated container topology tests failing data |
-| | topologies with K8s/Ligato orchestration. | | plane verification indicating configuration issue. Suspected |
-| | | | issue with Ligato vpp-agent. |
-+---+-------------------------------------------------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
+List of known issues in |csit-release| for VPP performance tests:
+
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| # | JiraID | Issue Description |
++====+=========================================+===========================================================================================================+
+| 1 | `CSIT-570 | Sporadic (1 in 200) NDR discovery test failures on x520. DPDK reporting rx-errors, indicating L1 issue. |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/CSIT-570>`_ | Suspected issue with HW combination of X710-X520 in LF testbeds. Not observed outside of LF testbeds. |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 2 | `VPP-662 | 9000B packets not supported by NICs VIC1227 and VIC1387. |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/VPP-662>`_ | |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 3 | `CSIT-1763 | Adapt ramp-up phase of nat44 tests for different frame sizes. |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/CSIT-1763>`_ | Currently ramp-up phase rate and duration values are correctly set for tests with 64B frame size. |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 4 | `CSIT-1671 | All CSIT scale tests can not use PAPI due to much slower performance compared to VAT/CLI (it takes much |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/CSIT-1671>`_ | longer to program VPP). This needs to be addressed on the PAPI side. |
+| +-----------------------------------------+ The usual PAPI library spends too much time parsing arguments, so even with async processing (hundreds of |
+| | `VPP-1763 | commands in flight over socket), the VPP configuration for large scale tests (millions of messages) takes |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/VPP-1763>`_ | too long. |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 5 | `VPP-1934 | [i40e] Interfaces are not brought up from carrier-down. |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/VPP-1934>`_ | In case of i40e -based interface (e.g Intel x700 series NIC) is bound to kernel driver (i40e) and is in |
+| | | state "no-carrier" (<NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP>) because previously it was disabled via |
+| | | "I40E_AQ_PHY_LINK_ENABLED" call, then VPP during initialization of AVF interface is not re-enabling |
+| | | interface link via i40e driver to up. |
+| | | CSIT implemented `workaround for AVF interface <https://gerrit.fd.io/r/c/csit/+/29086>`_ until fixed. |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+Root Cause Analysis for Performance Changes
+-------------------------------------------
+
+List of RCAs in |csit-release| for VPP performance changes:
+
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| # | JiraID | Issue Description |
++====+=========================================+===========================================================================================================+
+| 1 | `VPP-1972 | One VPP change has decreased performance of NAT44ed processing, both slow path and fast path. |
+| | <https://jira.fd.io/browse/VPP-1972>`_ | |
++----+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+