Internet DRAFT - draft-vpolak-bmwg-plrsearch

draft-vpolak-bmwg-plrsearch







Benchmarking Working Group                       M. Konstantynowicz, Ed.
Internet-Draft                                             V. Polak, Ed.
Intended status: Informational                             Cisco Systems
Expires: September 7, 2020                                March 06, 2020


   Probabilistic Loss Ratio Search for Packet Throughput (PLRsearch)
                     draft-vpolak-bmwg-plrsearch-03

Abstract

   This document addresses challenges while applying methodologies
   described in [RFC2544] to benchmarking software based NFV (Network
   Function Virtualization) data planes over an extended period of time,
   sometimes referred to as "soak testing".  Packet throughput search
   approach proposed by this document assumes that system under test is
   probabilistic in nature, and not deterministic.

Status of This Memo

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on September 7, 2020.

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   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   2.  Relation To RFC2544 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   3.  Terms And Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.1.  Device Under Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.2.  System Under Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.3.  SUT Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.4.  SUT Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.5.  Network Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     3.6.  Packet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
       3.6.1.  Packet Offered  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
       3.6.2.  Packet Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
       3.6.3.  Packet Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
       3.6.4.  Other Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     3.7.  Traffic Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     3.8.  Traffic Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     3.9.  Offered Load  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     3.10. Trial Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     3.11. Trial Duration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     3.12. Packet Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
       3.12.1.  Loss Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
       3.12.2.  Loss Rate  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
       3.12.3.  Loss Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     3.13. Trial Order Independent System  . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     3.14. Trial Measurement Result Distribution . . . . . . . . . .   8
     3.15. Average Loss Ratio  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     3.16. Duration Independent System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     3.17. Load Regions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       3.17.1.  Zero Loss Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       3.17.2.  Guaranteed Loss Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       3.17.3.  Non-Deterministic Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       3.17.4.  Normal Region Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
     3.18. Deterministic System  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     3.19. Througphput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     3.20. Deterministic Search  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     3.21. Probabilistic Search  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     3.22. Loss Ratio Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.23. Target Loss Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.24. Critical Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.25. Critical Load Estimate  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.26. Fitting Function  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.27. Shape of Fitting Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
     3.28. Parameter Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
   4.  Abstract Algorithm  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12



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     4.1.  High level description  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
     4.2.  Main Ideas  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
       4.2.1.  Trial Durations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       4.2.2.  Target Loss Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
     4.3.  PLRsearch Building Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       4.3.1.  Bayesian Inference  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       4.3.2.  Iterative Search  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
       4.3.3.  Fitting Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
       4.3.4.  Measurement Impact  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
       4.3.5.  Fitting Function Coefficients Distribution  . . . . .  15
       4.3.6.  Exit Condition  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
       4.3.7.  Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
       4.3.8.  Optimizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
       4.3.9.  Offered Load Selection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
       4.3.10. Trend Analysis  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
   5.  Known Implementations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
     5.1.  FD.io CSIT Implementation Specifics . . . . . . . . . . .  16
       5.1.1.  Measurement Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
       5.1.2.  Rounding Errors and Underflows  . . . . . . . . . . .  17
       5.1.3.  Fitting Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
       5.1.4.  Prior Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
       5.1.5.  Integrator  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
       5.1.6.  Offered Load Selection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
   7.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
   8.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
   9.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
     9.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
     9.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22

1.  Motivation

   Network providers are interested in throughput a networking system
   can sustain.

   [RFC2544] assumes loss ratio is given by a deterministic function of
   offered load.  But NFV software systems are not deterministic enough.
   This makes deterministic algorithms (such as Binary Search per
   [RFC2544] and [draft-vpolak-mkonstan-bmwg-mlrsearch] with single
   trial) to return results, which when repeated show relatively high
   standard deviation, thus making it harder to tell what "the
   throughput" actually is.

   We need another algorithm, which takes this indeterminism into
   account.





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2.  Relation To RFC2544

   The aim of this document is to become an extension of [RFC2544]
   suitable for benchmarking networking setups such as software based
   NFV systems.

3.  Terms And Assumptions

   Due to the indeterministic nature of certain NFV systems that are the
   targetted by PLRsearch algorithm, existing network benchmarking terms
   are explicated and a number of new terms and assumptions are
   introduced.

3.1.  Device Under Test

   In software networking, "device" denotes a specific piece of software
   tasked with packet processing.  Such device is surrounded with other
   software components (such as operating system kernel).  It is not
   possible to run devices without also running the other components,
   and hardware resources are shared between both.

   For purposes of testing, the whole set of hardware and software
   components is called "system under test" (SUT).  As SUT is the part
   of the whole test setup performance of which can be measured by
   [RFC2544] methods, this document uses SUT instead of [RFC2544] DUT.

   Device under test (DUT) can be re-introduced when analysing test
   results using whitebox techniques, but that is outside the scope of
   this document.

3.2.  System Under Test

   System under test (SUT) is a part of the whole test setup whose
   performance is to be benchmarked.  The complete methodology contains
   other parts, whose performance is either already established, or not
   affecting the benchmarking result.

3.3.  SUT Configuration

   Usually, system under test allows different configurations, affecting
   its performance.  The rest of this document assumes a single
   configuration has been chosen.

3.4.  SUT Setup

   Similarly to [RFC2544], it is assumed that the system under test has
   been updated with all the packet forwarding information it needs,
   before the trial measurements (see below) start.



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3.5.  Network Traffic

   Network traffic is a type of interaction between system under test
   and the rest of the system (traffic generator), used to gather
   information about the system under test performance.  PLRsearch is
   applicable only to areas where network traffic consists of packets.

3.6.  Packet

   Unit of interaction between traffic generator and the system under
   test.  Term "packet" is used also as an abstraction of Ethernet
   frames.

3.6.1.  Packet Offered

   Packet can be offered, which means it is sent from traffic generator
   to the system under test.

   Each offered packet is assumed to become received or lost in a short
   time.

3.6.2.  Packet Received

   Packet can be received, which means the traffic generator verifies it
   has been processed.  Typically, when it is succesfully sent from the
   system under test to traffic generator.

   It is assumed that each received packet has been caused by an offered
   packet, so the number of packets received cannot be larger than the
   number of packets offered.

3.6.3.  Packet Lost

   Packet can be lost, which means sent but not received in a timely
   manner.

   It is assumed that each lost packet has been caused by an offered
   packet, so the number of packets lost cannot be larger than the
   number of packets offered.

   Usually, the number of packets lost is computed as the number of
   packets offered, minus the number of packets received.

3.6.4.  Other Packets

   PLRsearch is not considering other packet behaviors known from
   networking (duplicated, reordered, greatly delayed), assuming the




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   test specification reclassifies those behaviors to fit into the first
   three categories.

3.7.  Traffic Profile

   Usually, the performance of the system under test depends on a "type"
   of a particular packet (for example size), and "composition" if the
   network traffic consists of a mixture of different packet types.

   Also, some systems under test contain multiple "ports" packets can be
   offered to and received from.

   All such qualities together (but not including properties of trial
   measurements) are called traffic profile.

   Similarly to system under test configuration, this document assumes
   only one traffic profile has been chosen for a particular test.

3.8.  Traffic Generator

   Traffic generator is the part of the whole test setup, distinct from
   the system under test, responsible both for offering packets in a
   highly predictable manner (so the number of packets offered is
   known), and for counting received packets in a precise enough way (to
   distinguish lost packets from tolerably delayed packets).

   Traffic generator must offer only packets compatible with the traffic
   profile, and only count similarly compatible packets as received.

   Criteria defining which received packets are compatible are left for
   test specification to decide.

3.9.  Offered Load

   Offered load is an aggregate rate (measured in packets per second) of
   network traffic offered to the system under test, the rate is kept
   constant for the duration of trial measurement.

3.10.  Trial Measurement

   Trial measurement is a process of stressing (previously setup) system
   under test by offering traffic of a particular offered load, for a
   particular duration.

   After that, the system has a short time to become idle, while the
   traffic generator decides how many packets were lost.





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   After that, another trial measurement (possibly with different
   offered load and duration) can be immediately performed.  Traffic
   generator should ignore received packets caused by packets offered in
   previous trial measurements.

3.11.  Trial Duration

   Duration for which the traffic generator was offering packets at
   constant offered load.

   In theory, care has to be taken to ensure the offered load and trial
   duration predict integer number of packets to offer, and that the
   traffic generator really sends appropriate number of packets within
   precisely enough timed duration.  In practice, such consideration do
   not change PLRsearch result in any significant way.

3.12.  Packet Loss

   Packet loss is any quantity describing a result of trial measurement.

   It can be loss count, loss rate or loss ratio.  Packet loss is zero
   (or non-zero) if either of the three quantities are zero (or non-
   zero, respecively).

3.12.1.  Loss Count

   Number of packets lost (or delayed too much) at a trial measurement
   by the system under test as determined by packet generator.  Measured
   in packets.

3.12.2.  Loss Rate

   Loss rate is computed as loss count divided by trial duration.
   Measured in packets per second.

3.12.3.  Loss Ratio

   Loss ratio is computed as loss count divided by number of packets
   offered.  Measured as a real (in practice rational) number between
   zero or one (including).

3.13.  Trial Order Independent System

   Trial order independent system is a system under test, proven (or
   just assumed) to produce trial measurement results that display trial
   order independence.





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   That means when a pair of consequent trial measurements are
   performed, the probability to observe a pair of specific results is
   the same, as the probability to observe the reversed pair of results
   whe performing the reversed pair of consequent measurements.

   PLRsearch assumes the system under test is trial order independent.

   In practice, most system under test are not entirely trial order
   independent, but it is not easy to devise an algorithm taking that
   into account.

3.14.  Trial Measurement Result Distribution

   When a trial order independent system is subjected to repeated trial
   measurements of constant duration and offered load, Law of Large
   Numbers implies the observed loss count frequencies will converge to
   a specific probability distribution over possible loss counts.

   This probability distribution is called trial measurement result
   distribution, and it depends on all properties fixed when defining
   it.  That includes the system under test, its chosen configuration,
   the chosen traffic profile, the offered load and the trial duration.

   As the system is trial order independent, trial measurement result
   distribution does not depend on results of few initial trial
   measurements, of any offered load or (finite) duration.

3.15.  Average Loss Ratio

   Probability distribution over some (finite) set of states enables
   computation of probability-weighted average of any quantity evaluated
   on the states (called the expected value of the quantity).

   Average loss ratio is simply the expected value of loss ratio for a
   given trial measurement result distribution.

3.16.  Duration Independent System

   Duration independent system is a trial order independent system,
   whose trial measurement result distribution is proven (or just
   assumed) to display practical independence from trial duration.  See
   definition of trial duration for discussion on practical versus
   theoretical.

   The only requirement is for average loss ratio to be independent of
   trial duration.





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   In theory, that would necessitate each trial measurement result
   distribution to be a binomial distribution.  In practice, more
   distributions are allowed.

   PLRsearch assumes the system under test is duration independent, at
   least for trial durations typically chosen for trial measurements
   initiated by PLRsearch.

3.17.  Load Regions

   For a duration independent system, trial measurement result
   distribution depends only on offered load.

   It is convenient to name some areas of offered load space by possible
   trial results.

3.17.1.  Zero Loss Region

   A particular offered load value is said to belong to zero loss
   region, if the probability of seeing non-zero loss trial measurement
   result is exactly zero, or at least practically indistinguishable
   from zero.

3.17.2.  Guaranteed Loss Region

   A particular offered load value is said to belong to guaranteed loss
   region, if the probability of seeing zero loss trial measurement
   result (for non-negligible count of packets offered) is exactly zero,
   or at least practically indistinguishable from zero.

3.17.3.  Non-Deterministic Region

   A particular offered load value is said to belong to non-
   deterministic region, if the probability of seeing zero loss trial
   measurement result (for non-negligible count of packets offered) is
   practically distinguishable from both zero and one.

3.17.4.  Normal Region Ordering

   Although theoretically the three regions can be arbitrary sets, this
   document assumes they are intervals, where zero loss region contains
   values smaller than non-deterministic region, which in turn contains
   values smaller than guaranteed loss region.








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3.18.  Deterministic System

   A hypothetical duration independent system with normal region
   ordering, whose non-deterministic region is extremely narrow (only
   present due to "practical distinguishibility" and cases when the
   expected number of packets offered is not and integer).

   A duration independent system which is not deterministic is called
   non- deterministic system.

3.19.  Througphput

   Throughput is the highest offered load provably causing zero packet
   loss for trial measurements of duration at least 60 seconds.

   For duration independent systems with normal region ordering, the
   throughput is the highest value within the zero loss region.

3.20.  Deterministic Search

   Any algorithm that assumes each measurement is a proof of the offered
   load belonging to zero loss region (or not) is called deterministic
   search.

   This definition includes algorithms based on "composite measurements"
   which perform multiple trial measurements, somehow re-classifying
   results pointing at non-deterministic region.

   Binary Search is an example of deterministic search.

   Single run of a deterministic search launched against a deterministic
   system is guaranteed to find the throughput with any prescribed
   precision (not better than non-deterministic region width).

   Multiple runs of a deterministic search launched against a non-
   deterministic system can return varied results within non-
   deterministic region.  The exact distribution of deterministic search
   results depends on the algorithm used.

3.21.  Probabilistic Search

   Any algorithm which performs probabilistic computations based on
   observed results of trial measurements, and which does not assume
   that non-deterministic region is practically absent, is called
   probabilistic search.

   A probabilistic search algorithm, which would assume that non-
   deterministic region is practically absent, does not really need to



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   perform probabilistic computations, so it would become a
   deterministic search.

   While probabilistic search for estimating throughput is possible, it
   would need a careful model for boundary between zero loss region and
   non-deterministic region, and it would need a lot of measurements of
   almost surely zero loss to reach good precision.

3.22.  Loss Ratio Function

   For any duration independent system, the average loss ratio depends
   only on offered load (for a particular test setup).

   Loss ratio function is the name used for the function mapping offered
   load to average loss ratio.

   This function is initially unknown.

3.23.  Target Loss Ratio

   Input parameter of PLRsearch.  The average loss ratio the output of
   PLRsearch aims to achieve.

3.24.  Critical Load

   Aggregate rate of network traffic, which would lead to average loss
   ratio exactly matching target loss ratio, if used as the offered load
   for infinite many trial measurement.

3.25.  Critical Load Estimate

   Any quantitative description of the possible critical load PLRsearch
   is able to give after observing finite amount of trial measurements.

3.26.  Fitting Function

   Any function PLRsearch uses internally instead of the unknown loss
   ratio function.  Typically chosen from small set of formulas (shapes)
   with few parameters to tweak.

3.27.  Shape of Fitting Function

   Any formula with few undetermined parameters.








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3.28.  Parameter Space

   A subset of Real Coordinate Space.  A point of parameter space is a
   vector of real numbers.  Fitting function is defined by shape (a
   formula with parameters) and point of parameter space (specifying
   values for the parameters).

4.  Abstract Algorithm

4.1.  High level description

   PLRsearch accepts some input arguments, then iteratively performs
   trial measurements at varying offered loads (and durations), and
   returns some estimates of critical load.

   PLRsearch input arguments form three groups.

   First group has a single argument: measurer.  This is a callback
   (function) accepting offered load and duration, and returning the
   measured loss count.

   Second group consists of load related arguments required for measurer
   to work correctly, typically minimal and maximal load to offer.
   Also, target loss ratio (if not hardcoded) is a required argument.

   Third group consists of time related arguments.  Typically the
   duration for the first trial measurement, duration increment per
   subsequent trial measurement, and total time for search.  Some
   PLRsearch implementation may use estimation accuracy parameters as an
   exit condition instead of total search time.

   The returned quantities should describe the final (or best) estimate
   of critical load.  Implementers can chose any description that suits
   their users, typically it is average and standard deviation, or lower
   and upper boundary.

4.2.  Main Ideas

   The search tries to perform measurements at offered load close to the
   critical load, because measurement results at offered loads far from
   the critical load give less information on precise location of the
   critical load.  As virtually every trial measurement result alters
   the estimate of the critical load, offered loads vary as they
   approach the critical load.

   The only quantity of trial measurement result affecting the
   computation is loss count.  No latency (or other information) is
   taken into account.



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   PLRsearch uses Bayesian Inference, computed using numerical
   integration, which takes long time to get reliable enough results.
   Therefore it takes some time before the most recent measurement
   result starts affecting subsequent offered loads and critical rate
   estimates.

   During the search, PLRsearch spawns few processes that perform
   numerical computations, the main process is calling the measurer to
   perform trial measurements, without any significant delays between
   them.  The durations of the trial measurements are increasing
   linearly, as higher number of trial measurement results take longer
   to process.

4.2.1.  Trial Durations

   [RFC2544] motivates the usage of at least 60 second duration by the
   idea of the system under test slowly running out of resources (such
   as memory buffers).

   Practical results when measuring NFV software systems show that
   relative change of trial duration has negligible effects on average
   loss ratio, compared to relative change in offered load.

   While the standard deviation of loss ratio usually shows some effects
   of trial duration, they are hard to model.  So PLRsearch assumes SUT
   is duration independent, and chooses trial durations only based on
   numeric integration requirements.

4.2.2.  Target Loss Ratio

   (TODO: Link to why we think 1e-7 is acceptable loss ratio.)

4.3.  PLRsearch Building Blocks

   Here we define notions used by PLRsearch which are not applicable to
   other search methods, nor probabilistic systems under test in
   general.

4.3.1.  Bayesian Inference

   PLRsearch uses a fixed set of fitting function shapes, and uses
   Bayesian inference to track posterior distribution on each fitting
   function parameter space.

   Specifically, the few parameters describing a fitting function become
   the model space.  Given a prior over the model space, and trial
   duration results, a posterior distribution is computed, together with
   quantities describing the critical load estimate.



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   Likelihood of a particular loss count is computed using Poisson
   distribution of average loss rate given by the fitting function (at
   specific point of parameter space).

   Side note: Binomial Distribution is a better fit compared to Poisson
   distribution (acknowledging that the number of packets lost cannot be
   higher than the number of packets offered), but the difference tends
   to be relevant only in high loss region.  Using Poisson distribution
   lowers the impact of measurements in high loss region, thus helping
   the algorithm to converge towards critical load faster.

4.3.2.  Iterative Search

   The idea PLRsearch is to iterate trial measurements, using Bayesian
   inference to compute both the current estimate of the critical load
   and the next offered load to measure at.

   The required numerical computations are done in parallel with the
   trial measurements.

   This means the result of measurement "n" comes as an (additional)
   input to the computation running in parallel with measurement "n+1",
   and the outputs of the computation are used for determining the
   offered load for measurement "n+2".

   Other schemes are possible, aimed to increase the number of
   measurements (by decreasing their duration), which would have even
   higher number of measurements run before a result of a measurement
   affects offered load.

4.3.3.  Fitting Functions

   To make the space of possible loss ratio functions more tractable the
   algorithm uses only few fitting function shapes for its predicitons.
   As the search algorithm needs to evaluate the function also far away
   from the critical load, the fitting function have to be reasonably
   behaved for every positive offered load, specifically cannot cannot
   predict non-positive packet loss ratio.

4.3.4.  Measurement Impact

   Results from trials far from the critical load are likely to affect
   the critical load estimate negatively, as the fitting functions do
   not need to be good approximations there.  This is true mainly for
   guaranteed loss region, as in zero loss region even badly behaved
   fitting function predicts loss count to be "almost zero", so seeing a
   measurement confirming the loss has been zero indeed has small
   impact.



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   Discarding some results, or "suppressing" their impact with ad-hoc
   methods (other than using Poisson distribution instead of binomial)
   is not used, as such methods tend to make the overall search
   unstable.  We rely on most of measurements being done (eventually)
   near the critical load, and overweighting far-off measurements
   (eventually) for well-behaved fitting functions.

4.3.5.  Fitting Function Coefficients Distribution

   To accomodate systems with different behaviours, a fitting function
   is expected to have few numeric parameters affecting its shape
   (mainly affecting the linear approximation in the critical region).

   The general search algorithm can use whatever increasing fitting
   function, some specific functions are described later.

   It is up to implementer to chose a fitting function and prior
   distribution of its parameters.  The rest of this document assumes
   each parameter is independently and uniformly distributed over a
   common interval.  Implementers are to add non-linear transformations
   into their fitting functions if their prior is different.

4.3.6.  Exit Condition

   Exit condition for the search is either the standard deviation of the
   critical load estimate becoming small enough (or similar), or overal
   search time becoming long enough.

   The algorithm should report both average and standard deviation for
   its critical load posterior.

4.3.7.  Integration

   The posterior distributions for fitting function parameters are not
   be integrable in general.

   The search algorithm utilises the fact that trial measurement takes
   some time, so this time can be used for numeric integration (using
   suitable method, such as Monte Carlo) to achieve sufficient
   precision.

4.3.8.  Optimizations

   After enough trials, the posterior distribution will be concentrated
   in a narrow area of the parameter space.  The integration method
   should take advantage of that.





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   Even in the concentrated area, the likelihood can be quite small, so
   the integration algorithm should avoid underflow errors by some
   means, for example by tracking the logarithm of the likelihood.

4.3.9.  Offered Load Selection

   The simplest rule is to set offered load for next trial measurememnt
   equal to the current average (both over posterio and over fitting
   function shapes) of the critical load estimate.

   Contrary to critical load estimate computation, heuristic algorithms
   affecting offered load selection do not introduce instability, and
   can help with convergence speed.

4.3.10.  Trend Analysis

   If the reported averages follow a trend (maybe without reaching
   equilibrium), average and standard deviation COULD refer to the
   equilibrium estimates based on the trend, not to immediate posterior
   values.

   But such post-processing is discouraged, unless a clear reason for
   the trend is known.  Frequently, presence of such a trend is a sign
   of some of PLRsearch assumption being violated (usually trial order
   independence or duration independence).

   It is RECOMMENDED to report any trend quantification together with
   direct critical load estimate, so users can draw their own
   conclusion.  Alternatively, trend analysis may be a part of exit
   conditions, requiring longer searches for systems displaying trends.

5.  Known Implementations

   The only known working implementation of PLRsearch is in Linux
   Foundation FD.io CSIT open-source project [FDio-CSIT-PLRsearch].

5.1.  FD.io CSIT Implementation Specifics

   The search receives min_rate and max_rate values, to avoid
   measurements at offered loads not supporeted by the traffic
   generator.

   The implemented tests cases use bidirectional traffic.  The algorithm
   stores each rate as bidirectional rate (internally, the algorithm is
   agnostic to flows and directions, it only cares about overall counts
   of packets sent and packets lost), but debug output from traffic
   generator lists unidirectional values.




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5.1.1.  Measurement Delay

   In a sample implemenation in FD.io CSIT project, there is roughly 0.5
   second delay between trials due to restrictons imposed by packet
   traffic generator in use (T-Rex).

   As measurements results come in, posterior distribution computation
   takes more time (per sample), although there is a considerable
   constant part (mostly for inverting the fitting functions).

   Also, the integrator needs a fair amount of samples to reach the
   region the posterior distribution is concentrated at.

   And of course, speed of the integrator depends on computing power of
   the CPUs the algorithm is able to use.

   All those timing related effects are addressed by arithmetically
   increasing trial durations with configurable coefficients (currently
   5.1 seconds for the first trial, each subsequent trial being 0.1
   second longer).

5.1.2.  Rounding Errors and Underflows

   In order to avoid them, the current implementation tracks natural
   logarithm (instead of the original quantity) for any quantity which
   is never negative.  Logarithm of zero is minus infinity (not
   supported by Python), so special value "None" is used instead.
   Specific functions for frequent operations (such as "logarithm of sum
   of exponentials") are defined to handle None correctly.

5.1.3.  Fitting Functions

   Current implementation uses two fitting functions.  In general, their
   estimates for critical rate differ, which adds a simple source of
   systematic error, on top of posterior dispersion reported by
   integrator.  Otherwise the reported stdev of critical rate estimate
   is unrealistically low.

   Both functions are not only increasing, but also convex (meaning the
   rate of increase is also increasing).

   As Primitive Function to any positive function is an increasing
   function, and Primitive Function to any increasing function is convex
   function; both fitting functions were constructed as double Primitive
   Function to a positive function (even though the intermediate
   increasing function is easier to describe).





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   As not any function is integrable, some more realistic functions
   (especially with respect to behavior at very small offered loads) are
   not easily available.

   Both fitting functions have a "central point" and a "spread", varied
   by simply shifting and scaling (in x-axis, the offered load
   direction) the function to be doubly integrated.  Scaling in y-axis
   (the loss rate direction) is fixed by the requirement of transfer
   rate staying nearly constant in very high offered loads.

   In both fitting functions (as they are a double Primitive Function to
   a symmetric function), the "central point" turns out to be equal to
   the aforementioned limiting transfer rate, so the fitting function
   parameter is named "mrr", the same quantity CSIT Maximum Receive Rate
   tests are designed to measure.

   Both fitting functions return logarithm of loss rate, to avoid
   rounding errors and underflows.  Parameters and offered load are not
   given as logarithms, as they are not expected to be extreme, and the
   formulas are simpler that way.

   Both fitting functions have several mathematically equivalent
   formulas, each can lead to an overflow or underflow in different
   places.  Overflows can be eliminated by using different exact
   formulas for different argument ranges.  Underflows can be avoided by
   using approximate formulas in affected argument ranges, such ranges
   have their own formulas to compute.  At the end, both fitting
   function implementations contain multiple "if" branches,
   discontinuities are a possibility at range boundaries.

5.1.3.1.  Stretch Function

   The original function (before applying logarithm) is Primitive
   Function to Logistic Function.  The name "stretch" is used for
   related a function in context of neural networks with sigmoid
   activation function.

   Formula for stretch fitting function: average loss rate (r) computed
   from offered load (b), mrr parameter (m) and spread parameter (a),
   given as InputForm of Wolfram language:

   r = (a*(1 + E^(m/a))*Log[(E^(b/a) + E^(m/a))/(1 + E^(m/a))])/E^(m/a)

5.1.3.2.  Erf Function

   The original function is double Primitive Function to Gaussian
   Function.  The name "erf" comes from error function, the first
   primitive to Gaussian.



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   Formula for erf fitting function: average loss rate (r) computed from
   offered load (b), mrr parameter (m) and spread parameter (a), given
   as InputForm of Wolfram language:

 r = ((a*(E^(-((b - m)^2/a^2)) - E^(-(m^2/a^2))))/Sqrt[Pi] + m*Erfc[m/a]
     + (b - m)*Erfc[(-b + m)/a])/(1 + Erf[m/a])

5.1.4.  Prior Distributions

   The numeric integrator expects all the parameters to be distributed
   (independently and) uniformly on an interval (-1, 1).

   As both "mrr" and "spread" parameters are positive and not
   dimensionless, a transformation is needed.  Dimentionality is
   inherited from max_rate value.

   The "mrr" parameter follows a Lomax Distribution with alpha equal to
   one, but shifted so that mrr is always greater than 1 packet per
   second.

   The "stretch" parameter is generated simply as the "mrr" value raised
   to a random power between zero and one; thus it follows a Reciprocal
   Distribution.

5.1.5.  Integrator

   After few measurements, the posterior distribution of fitting
   function arguments gets quite concentrated into a small area.  The
   integrator is using Monte Carlo with Importance Sampling where the
   biased distribution is Bivariate Gaussian distribution, with
   deliberately larger variance.  If the generated sample falls outside
   (-1, 1) interval, another sample is generated.

   The the center and the covariance matrix for the biased distribution
   is based on the first and second moments of samples seen so far
   (within the computation), with the following additional features
   designed to avoid hyper-focused distributions.

   Each computation starts with the biased distribution inherited from
   the previous computation (zero point and unit covariance matrix is
   used in the first computation), but the overal weight of the data is
   set to the weight of the first sample of the computation.  Also, the
   center is set to the first sample point.  When additional samples
   come, their weight (including the importance correction) is compared
   to the weight of data seen so far (within the computation).  If the
   new sample is more than one e-fold more impactful, both weight values
   (for data so far and for the new sample) are set to (geometric)
   average if the two weights.  Finally, the actual sample generator



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   uses covariance matrix scaled up by a configurable factor (8.0 by
   default).

   This combination showed the best behavior, as the integrator usually
   follows two phases.  First phase (where inherited biased distribution
   or single big sasmples are dominating) is mainly important for
   locating the new area the posterior distribution is concentrated at.
   The second phase (dominated by whole sample population) is actually
   relevant for the critical rate estimation.

5.1.6.  Offered Load Selection

   First two measurements are hardcoded to happen at the middle of rate
   interval and at max_rate.  Next two measurements follow MRR-like
   logic, offered load is decreased so that it would reach target loss
   ratio if offered load decrease lead to equal decrease of loss rate.

   Basis for offered load for next trial measurements is the integrated
   average of current critical rate estimate, averaged over fitting
   function.

   There is one workaround implemented, aimed at reducing the number of
   consequent zero loss measurements.  The workaround first stores every
   measurement result which loss ratio was the targed loss ratio or
   higher.  Sorted list (called lossy loads) of such results is
   maintained.

   When a sequence of one or more zero loss measurement results is
   encountered, a smallest of lossy loads is drained from the list.  If
   the estimate average is smaller than the drained value, a weighted
   average of this estimate and the drained value is used as the next
   offered load.  The weight of the drained value doubles with each
   additional consecutive zero loss results.

   This behavior helps the algorithm with convergence speed, as it does
   not need so many zero loss result to get near critical load.  Using
   the smallest (not drained yet) of lossy loads makes it sure the new
   offered load is unlikely to result in big loss region.  Draining even
   if the estimate is large enough helps to discard early measurements
   when loss hapened at too low offered load.  Current implementation
   adds 4 copies of lossy loads and drains 3 of them, which leads to
   fairly stable behavior even for somewhat inconsistent SUTs.

6.  IANA Considerations

   No requests of IANA.





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7.  Security Considerations

   Benchmarking activities as described in this memo are limited to
   technology characterization of a DUT/SUT using controlled stimuli in
   a laboratory environment, with dedicated address space and the
   constraints specified in the sections above.

   The benchmarking network topology will be an independent test setup
   and MUST NOT be connected to devices that may forward the test
   traffic into a production network or misroute traffic to the test
   management network.

   Further, benchmarking is performed on a "black-box" basis, relying
   solely on measurements observable external to the DUT/SUT.

   Special capabilities SHOULD NOT exist in the DUT/SUT specifically for
   benchmarking purposes.  Any implications for network security arising
   from the DUT/SUT SHOULD be identical in the lab and in production
   networks.

8.  Acknowledgements

   To be added.

9.  References

9.1.  Normative References

   [RFC2544]  Bradner, S. and J. McQuaid, "Benchmarking Methodology for
              Network Interconnect Devices", RFC 2544,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2544, March 1999,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2544>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

9.2.  Informative References

   [draft-vpolak-mkonstan-bmwg-mlrsearch]
              "Multiple Loss Ratio Search for Packet Throughput
              (MLRsearch)", February 2020, <https://tools.ietf.org/html/
              draft-vpolak-mkonstan-bmwg-mlrsearch>.








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   [FDio-CSIT-PLRsearch]
              "FD.io CSIT Test Methodology - PLRsearch", February 2020,
              <https://docs.fd.io/csit/rls2001/report/introduction/
              methodology_data_plane_throughput/
              methodology_plrsearch.html>.

Authors' Addresses

   Maciek Konstantynowicz (editor)
   Cisco Systems

   Email: mkonstan@cisco.com


   Vratko Polak (editor)
   Cisco Systems

   Email: vrpolak@cisco.com

































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