IP Flow Information Accounting and Export Benchmarking Methodology
RFC 6645

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Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                          J. Novak
Request for Comments: 6645                           Cisco Systems, Inc.
Category: Informational                                        July 2012
ISSN: 2070-1721

                   IP Flow Information Accounting and
                    Export Benchmarking Methodology

Abstract

   This document provides a methodology and framework for quantifying
   the performance impact of the monitoring of IP flows on a network
   device and the export of this information to a Collector.  It
   identifies the rate at which the IP flows are created, expired, and
   successfully exported as a new performance metric in combination with
   traditional throughput.  The metric is only applicable to the devices
   compliant with RFC 5470, "Architecture for IP Flow Information
   Export".  The methodology quantifies the impact of the IP flow
   monitoring process on the network equipment.

Status of This Memo

   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
   published for informational purposes.

   This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
   (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
   received public review and has been approved for publication by the
   Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Not all documents
   approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet
   Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741.

   Information about the current status of this document, any
   errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6645.

Novak                         Informational                     [Page 1]
RFC 6645              Flow Monitoring Benchmarking             July 2012

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Novak                         Informational                     [Page 2]
RFC 6645              Flow Monitoring Benchmarking             July 2012

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................4
   2. Terminology .....................................................5
      2.1. Existing Terminology .......................................5
      2.2. New Terminology ............................................6
   3. Flow Monitoring Performance Benchmark ...........................8
      3.1. Definition .................................................8
      3.2. Device Applicability .......................................8
      3.3. Measurement Concept ........................................8
      3.4. The Measurement Procedure Overview .........................9
   4. Measurement Setup ..............................................11
      4.1. Measurement Topology ......................................11
      4.2. Baseline DUT Setup ........................................13
      4.3. Flow Monitoring Configuration .............................13
      4.4. Collector .................................................19
      4.5. Sampling ..................................................19
      4.6. Frame Formats .............................................19
      4.7. Frame Sizes ...............................................20
      4.8. Flow Export Data Packet Sizes .............................20
      4.9. Illustrative Test Setup Examples ..........................20
   5. Flow Monitoring Throughput Measurement Methodology .............22
      5.1. Flow Monitoring Configuration .............................23
      5.2. Traffic Configuration .....................................24
      5.3. Cache Population ..........................................25
      5.4. Measurement Time Interval .................................25
      5.5. Flow Export Rate Measurement ..............................26
      5.6. The Measurement Procedure .................................27
   6. RFC 2544 Measurements ..........................................28
      6.1. Flow Monitoring Configuration..............................28
      6.2. Measurements with the Flow Monitoring Throughput Setup ....29
      6.3. Measurements with Fixed Flow Export Rate...................29
   7. Flow Monitoring Accuracy .......................................30
   8. Evaluating Flow Monitoring Applicability .......................31