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