iPerf Network Test Tool to Optimize Network Throughput for PlateSpin Products

  • 7018664
  • 24-Feb-2017
  • 14-Sep-2018

Environment

PlateSpin Migrate 12.2

Situation

This article discusses about what iPerf Network Test Tool is used for.

Resolution

The iPerf Network Test tool is provided on the PlateSpin LRD (Linux RAM Disk) take-control environment. As stated in the iPerf documentation: The primary goal of iPerf is to help in tuning TCP connections over a particular path. The most fundamental tuning issue for TCP is the TCP window size, which controls how much data can be in the network at any one point.

The purpose of this is to describe a basic method for network tuning and testing as it relates to using PlateSpin products. First, you calculate a theoretical optimum TCP window size. Then you use the iPerf tool to validate and fine-tune this calculated size and measure the resulting throughput. Using this method is also useful in determining the real achievable throughput for a given network.

Both the iPerf tool and PlateSpin products are actually using the TCP send/receive buffer size in order to affect the eventual internal choice of TCP window size. Going forward, these terms will be used interchangeably.

Modifying the TCP window size indirectly with the TCP send/receive buffer size can be a very effective method for increasing network throughput in some scenarios. Two to three or even more times the original throughput can sometimes be achieved. However, it is important to remember that the network characteristics can (and often do) change over time because of changes in usage patterns, hardware, software, or other infrastructure.

We strongly recommend that you use this method to calculate the optimum value at the same time of day and under the same network usage patterns that are intended to be in use during the planned live migration or replication tasks. We also recommend that you recalculate the setting periodically in order to account for changing network conditions.

See the link below for setting up iPerf

https://support.microfocus.com/kb/doc.php?id=7018608

See the link below for calculating iPerf

https://support.microfocus.com/kb/doc.php?id=7018622