Terminology for ATM ABR Benchmarking
RFC 3134
Network Working Group J. Dunn
Request for Comments: 3134 C. Martin
Category: Informational ANC, Inc.
June 2001
Terminology for ATM ABR Benchmarking
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2001). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This memo discusses and defines terms associated with performance
benchmarking tests and the results of these tests in the context of
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) based switching devices supporting
ABR (Available Bit Rate). The terms defined in this memo will be
used in addition to terms defined in RFCs 1242, 2285, and 2544 and
2761. This memo is a product of the Benchmarking Methodology Working
Group (BMWG) of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
1. Introduction
This document provides terminology for benchmarking ATM based
switching devices supporting ABR. It extends terminology already
defined for benchmarking network interconnect devices in RFC's 1242,
2285, and 2544 and 2761. Although some of the definitions in this
memo may be applicable to a broader group of network interconnect
devices, the primary focus of the terminology in this memo is on ATM
ABR.
This memo contains two major sections: Background and Definitions.
The background section provides the reader with an overview of the
technology and IETF formalisms. The definitions section is split
into two sub-sections. The formal definitions sub-section is
provided as a courtesy to the reader. The measurement definitions
sub-section contains performance metrics with inherent units.
This document assumes that necessary services are available and
active. For example, IP connectivity requires SSCOP connectivity
between signaling entities. Further, it is assumed that the SUT has
Dunn & Martin Informational [Page 1]
RFC 3134 Terminology for ATM ABR Benchmarking June 2001
the ability to configure ATM addresses (via hard coded addresses,
ILMI or PNNI neighbor discovery), has the ability to run SSCOP, and
has the ability to perform signaled call setups (via UNI or PNNI
signaling). Finally, this document presents only the terminology
associated with benchmarking IP performance over ATM; therefore, it
does not represent a total compilation of ATM test terminology.
The BMWG produces two major classes of documents: Benchmarking
Terminology documents and Benchmarking Methodology documents. The
Terminology documents present the benchmarks and other related terms.
The Methodology documents define the procedures required to collect
the benchmarks cited in the corresponding Terminology documents.
2. Existing Definitions.
RFC 1242, "Benchmarking Terminology for Network Interconnect
Devices", should be consulted before attempting to make use of this
document. RFC 2544, "Benchmarking Methodology for Network
Interconnect Devices", contains discussions of a number of terms
relevant to the benchmarking of switching devices and should be
consulted. RFC 2285, "Benchmarking Terminology for LAN Switching
Devices", contains a number of terms pertaining to traffic
distributions and datagram interarrival. RFC 2761, "Terminology for
ATM Benchmarking", contains a number terms pertaining to traffic
management [TM4.0, TM4.1]. Many of the metrics defined in RFC 2761
(e.g., CDV, CER, CLR, CMR, and CTD) also apply to ABR performance
benchmarking. These metrics will not be redefined in this document.
For the sake of clarity and continuity, this RFC adopts the template
for definitions set out in Section 2 of RFC 1242.
II. Definitions
The definitions presented in this section have been divided into two
groups. The first group is formal definitions, which are required in
the definitions of the performance metrics but are not themselves
strictly metrics. These definitions are subsumed from other work
done in other working groups both inside and outside the IETF. They
are provided as a courtesy to the reader.
1. Formal Definitions
1.1. Definition Format (from RFC 1242)
Term to be defined.
Definition: The specific definition for the term.
Dunn & Martin Informational [Page 2]
RFC 3134 Terminology for ATM ABR Benchmarking June 2001
Discussion: A brief discussion of the term, its application and any
restrictions on measurement procedures.
Specification: The working group and document in which the terms are
specified and are listed in the references section.
Show full document text