2 title: "VPP Forwarding Modes"
8 VPP is tested in a number of L2, IPv4 and IPv6 packet lookup and forwarding
9 modes. Within each mode baseline and scale tests are executed, the latter with
10 varying number of FIB entries.
12 ## L2 Ethernet Switching
14 VPP is tested in three L2 forwarding modes:
16 - *l2patch*: L2 patch, the fastest point-to-point L2 path that loops
17 packets between two interfaces without any Ethernet frame checks or
19 - *l2xc*: L2 cross-connect, point-to-point L2 path with all Ethernet
20 frame checks, but no MAC learning and no MAC lookup.
21 - *l2bd*: L2 bridge-domain, multipoint-to-multipoint L2 path with all
22 Ethernet frame checks, with MAC learning (unless static MACs are used)
25 l2bd tests are executed in baseline and scale configurations:
27 - *l2bdbase*: Two MAC FIB entries are learned by VPP to enable packet
28 switching between two interfaces in two directions. VPP L2 switching
29 is tested with 254 IPv4 unique flows per direction, varying IPv4
30 source address per flow in order to invoke RSS based packet
31 distribution across VPP workers. The same source and destination MAC
32 address is used for all flows per direction. IPv4 source address is
33 incremented for every packet.
35 - *l2bdscale*: A high number of MAC FIB entries are learned by VPP to
36 enable packet switching between two interfaces in two directions.
37 Tested MAC FIB sizes include: i) 10k with 5k unique flows per
38 direction, ii) 100k with 2 x 50k flows and iii) 1M with 2 x 500k
39 flows. Unique flows are created by using distinct source and
40 destination MAC addresses that are changed for every packet using
41 incremental ordering, making VPP learn (or refresh) distinct src MAC
42 entries and look up distinct dst MAC entries for every packet. For
44 [Packet Flow Ordering]({{< ref "packet_flow_ordering#Packet Flow Ordering" >}}).
46 Ethernet wire encapsulations tested include: untagged, dot1q, dot1ad.
50 IPv4 routing tests are executed in baseline and scale configurations:
52 - *ip4base*: Two /32 IPv4 FIB entries are configured in VPP to enable
53 packet routing between two interfaces in two directions. VPP routing
54 is tested with 253 IPv4 unique flows per direction, varying IPv4
55 source address per flow in order to invoke RSS based packet
56 distribution across VPP workers. IPv4 source address is incremented
59 - *ip4scale*: A high number of /32 IPv4 FIB entries are configured in
60 VPP. Tested IPv4 FIB sizes include: i) 20k with 10k unique flows per
61 direction, ii) 200k with 2 * 100k flows and iii) 2M with 2 * 1M
62 flows. Unique flows are created by using distinct IPv4 destination
63 addresses that are changed for every packet, using incremental or
64 random ordering. For details, see
65 [Packet Flow Ordering]({{< ref "packet_flow_ordering#Packet Flow Ordering" >}}).
69 Similarly to IPv4, IPv6 routing tests are executed in baseline and scale
72 - *ip6base*: Two /128 IPv4 FIB entries are configured in VPP to enable
73 packet routing between two interfaces in two directions. VPP routing
74 is tested with 253 IPv6 unique flows per direction, varying IPv6
75 source address per flow in order to invoke RSS based packet
76 distribution across VPP workers. IPv6 source address is incremented
79 - *ip4scale*: A high number of /128 IPv6 FIB entries are configured in
80 VPP. Tested IPv6 FIB sizes include: i) 20k with 10k unique flows per
81 direction, ii) 200k with 2 * 100k flows and iii) 2M with 2 * 1M
82 flows. Unique flows are created by using distinct IPv6 destination
83 addresses that are changed for every packet, using incremental or
84 random ordering. For details, see
85 [Packet Flow Ordering]({{< ref "packet_flow_ordering#Packet Flow Ordering" >}}).
89 SRv6 routing tests are executed in a number of baseline configurations,
90 in each case SR policy and steering policy are configured for one
91 direction and one (or two) SR behaviours (functions) in the other
94 - *srv6enc1sid*: One SID (no SRH present), one SR function - End.
95 - *srv6enc2sids*: Two SIDs (SRH present), two SR functions - End and
97 - *srv6enc2sids-nodecaps*: Two SIDs (SRH present) without decapsulation,
98 one SR function - End.
99 - *srv6proxy-dyn*: Dynamic SRv6 proxy, one SR function - End.AD.
100 - *srv6proxy-masq*: Masquerading SRv6 proxy, one SR function - End.AM.
101 - *srv6proxy-stat*: Static SRv6 proxy, one SR function - End.AS.
103 In all listed cases low number of IPv6 flows (253 per direction) is