Performance Measurement Tools Taxonomy

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This section concerns tools for measuring Internet performance. A summary is
provided along with web page pointers
to more detailed information. Review comments are also included when available.
| co-sponsored by: |  |
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| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| OPNET IT Guru / ACE |
RMON probes, packet traces, direct net capture, router config. files, network management data |
both |
delay, jitter, loss, app. response time, retransmissions, prediction |
Windows / UNIX GUI, graphs, web reports |
| CompuWare EcoScope |
LAN, WAN, GigaEther |
both |
app distribution across bandwidth; response time; traffic char;
client/server usage |
Windows GUI |
| NetPredict |
network pkts |
passive |
captures network pkts; performs statistical analysis |
GUI, graphs |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| bing |
compare RTTs from
ICMP/ECHO reply of different size pkts |
active |
raw bandwidth |
raw capacity (bps) |
| {b|c}probe |
ICMP/ECHO reply |
active |
bandwidth, congestion |
text |
| clink |
UDP w/limited TTL to unused port; ICMP err response
or ICMP/ECHO reply |
active |
bandwidth |
text |
| iperf |
TCP and UDP |
active |
bandwidth, delay jitter, pkt loss |
text or GUI |
| netperf |
Load generator |
active |
uni-directional throughput, end-to-end latency |
text |
| nettimer |
pkt collection; pkt tailgating |
both |
pkt capture server, pkt capture client, active probe (tailgater) |
records; space delimited fields in ns trace file format |
| pathchar |
UDP; ICMP |
both |
bandwidth, throughput, latency, loss, queue chars |
GUI |
| pathload |
UDP pkts, running in client-server mode |
active |
bandwidth (maximum IP-layer
throughput that a flow can get in the path from sender to receiver,
without reducing the rate of the rest of the traffic in the path) |
NetLogger style output |
| pathrate |
UDP based, running in client-server mode |
active |
absolute capacity (bottleneck bandwidth) |
NetLogger style output |
| pchar |
UDP; ICMP |
both |
bandwidth, throughput, latency, loss, queue chars |
GUI |
| SProbe |
IP address of the other endpoint of the network
path being measured along with the direction of the measurement (a single
network path has two directions). |
active |
bottleneck bandwidth(both forward and reverse path) |
text |
| TReno |
UDP w/limited TTL to unused port; ICMP err response
or ICMP/ECHO reply |
both |
bandwidth |
gnuplot and ppmtogif graphs |
| ttcp and nttcp |
load generator
|
active |
throughput |
text |
| Viznet |
data in real time from a network or logfile generated by Netlog |
passive |
bandwidth visualization |
real-time animation |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| GTrace |
UDP w/limited TTL; ICMP time exceeded |
both |
latency, reachability |
map, name, addr, RTT of each hop along path |
| mtr |
ICMP ECHO |
active |
link quality; reachability
|
graphical(ncurses) or text(Gtk) |
| Nikhef traceroute |
UDP w/limited TTL; ICMP time exceeded |
active |
latency, reachability, pkt loss |
name, addr of each hop along path & stats |
| pingplotter |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
availability, %pkt loss |
windows, graphs |
| traceroute |
UDP w/limited TTL; ICMP time exceeded |
active |
latency, reachability, pkt loss |
name, addr of each hop along path |
| WhatRoute |
UDP w/limited TTL; ICMP time exceeded |
both |
latency, reachability |
MAC window; name, addr of hop, map |
| Xtraceroute |
UDP w/limited TTL; ICMP time exceeded |
active |
reachability |
world globe plot |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| Narus Intelligence |
SNMP |
passive |
monitor IP services and usage |
flow info |
| NIKSUN NetVCR, NetReporter,
NetDetector |
SNMP |
passive |
traffic flow, per-application response time, retransmission rate,
RTT, end-to-end loss, bandwidth, throughput
|
flow info |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| for News hosts
|
ping |
active |
Pkt loss from U Oregon eXchange point to >100 news hosts
|
status, %pkt loss, min/avg/max |
| Andover Internet Traffic Report
|
ping |
active |
Global Internet Traffic, RTT, pkt loss
|
graphs, index (0-100) |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| Gomez GPN |
Web site ~53 global agent locations near ISP core routers |
active |
web site benchmarking & testing; web page access times, latency, transaction sequence, host availability; real-time service alerts; drill-down analysis for tests, comparative performance |
GUI, graphical reports, email alerts, FTP or XML feeds |
| Gomez PeerReview |
Web site ~ 10,000 end-user desktop locations at different connection rates |
active |
end-to-end performance measurement; on-demand diagnostic measurement; network latencies; ISP and backbone Testing; Competitive Benchmarking; real-time service alerts |
GUI with extensive reporting on performance metrics and connectivity rates |
| KeyLabs |
Web-site |
active |
web site benchmarks and testing |
GUI |
| Keynote Perspective |
Web transaction script recorder from ~50 global Agent locations |
active |
access times, latency for: full page; benchmark single Web object; multi-page; interactive transactions; secure pages |
MyKeynote web interface |
| ServiceMetrics SM-WEB |
Web-Site (global, regional, or local measurement sites) |
active |
response time; availability; comparative performance
|
GUI |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| BrixWorx software |
measurements from Brix100 or Brix1000 Verifiers |
both |
end-to-end testing of application traffic between a mesh of Verifiers, or
between Verifiers and guaranteed, IP-based network or application services
|
Web based GUI or software controlled alarms |
| Brix 1000 Verifier |
Active Test traffic |
active |
Measure performance from ISP POP, data center, or NOC, including round-trip or one-way latency, jitter, and both simulated and actual app throughput (e.g.,
POP, SMTP, DNS, NNTP, RTP, H.323, HTTP, HTTPS)
|
BrixWorx web based GUI, cmd line interface, SNMP agent v1, SNMP MIB II, Ethernet MIB, EtherStats |
| Brix 100 Verifier |
Active and Passive Test Traffic |
both |
measure rount-trip latency, jitter, and both simulated and actual
app throughput (e.g., POP, SMTP, DNS, NNTP, RTP, H.323, HTTP, HTTPS) at customer enterprise (network edge router or other location)
|
BrixWorx web based GUI, SNMP agent v1, SNMP MIB II, Ethernet MIB, EtherStats |
| Brixnet Managed Service |
measurements from Brix 100 and/or Brix 1000 Verifier |
both |
end-to-end testing of application traffic between a mesh of Verifiers, or between Verifiers and guaranteed, IP-based network or application services
|
BrixWorx web based GUI or software controlled alarms
|
| MRTG |
uses SNMP to read the traffic counters of users' routers |
passive |
monitors traffic, logs the traffic data, and represents them in graphs; also able to monitor any SNMP variable that the users choose |
webpages containing graphs |
| Nettest |
TCP/UDP |
active |
runs Iperf or user supplied additional tests |
NetLogger style output |
| NetVigil |
snmp, tcp, applications |
both |
delay, bandwidth, server metrics (CPU, memory, etc.) |
Web based GUI, real-time status, statistics, graphs |
| snmpstatd |
SNMP |
active |
monitoring operative network, performing asynchronous SNMP polling to collect usage statistics, memory and CPU utilization from routers |
text file |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| IPTraf |
Linux net stats |
passive |
TCP connect pkt/byte
counts, interface stats/activity, TCP/UDP %traffic
|
console screen |
| libpcap |
machine-independent network layer |
passive |
pkt collection library |
file |
| tcpdump |
based on libpcap |
passive |
portable packet collector |
file |
| tcpdpriv |
based on libpcap |
passive |
sanitizes collected packets |
file |
| Traffic Explorer |
Netflow and full routing topology history |
Passive |
Prefix-aggregated flows all links based on mapping flows across routes, aggregate and per CoS volume and utilization |
GUI |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| dummynet |
packet intercept
|
active |
bandwidth mgmt |
simulated traffic |
| OPNET Modeler |
RMON probes, packet traces, direct capture, router config. files, network management data |
both |
delay, jitter, loss, app. response time, retransmissions, utilizations, predictions, performance analysis |
Windows / UNIX GUI, graphs, web reports |
| OPNET IT Guru / ACE |
RMON probes, packet traces, direct capture, router config. files, network management data |
both |
delay, jitter, loss, app. response time, retransmissions, utilizations, predictions, performance analysis |
Windows / UNIX GUI, graphs, web reports |
| ServiceProvider Guru |
RMON probes, packet traces, direct capture, router config. files, network management data, SNMP |
both |
delay, jitter, loss, app. response time, retransmissions, utilizations, predictions, performance analysis, automated network design |
Windows / UNIX GUI, graphs, web reports |
| Traffic Explorer |
Netflow and full routing topology history |
Passive |
Volume and utilization per link, flow, path; Trending, predictions, what-if scenario simulation of routing and traffic changes |
GUI |
| Tool |
Input |
Measurement |
Output |
| |
|
Active / Passive |
Functions |
|
| echoping |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
availability, latency, pkt loss |
text |
| fping |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
multihost availability, latency, pkt loss |
parseable text |
| gnuplotping |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
multihost availability, latency, pkt loss |
gnuplot graph of delay distribution |
| Imeter |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
long-term ping performance |
web page graphs |
| Nikhef ping |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
availability, latency, pkt loss |
text |
| owamp |
IP address |
active |
latency |
text |
| ping |
ICMP Echo/Reply |
active |
availability, latency, pkt loss |
text |
| sting |
TCP behavior |
passive |
one-way pkt loss rates |
text |
| Traceping |
ping & traceroute |
active |
pkt loss |
text |
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