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