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+---
+bookToc: false
+title: "Terminology"
+weight: 1
+---
+
+# Terminology
+
+- **Frame size**: size of an Ethernet Layer-2 frame on the wire, including
+ any VLAN tags (dot1q, dot1ad) and Ethernet FCS, but excluding Ethernet
+ preamble and inter-frame gap. Measured in Bytes.
+- **Packet size**: same as frame size, both terms used interchangeably.
+- **Inner L2 size**: for tunneled L2 frames only, size of an encapsulated
+ Ethernet Layer-2 frame, preceded with tunnel header, and followed by
+ tunnel trailer. Measured in Bytes.
+- **Inner IP size**: for tunneled IP packets only, size of an encapsulated
+ IPv4 or IPv6 packet, preceded with tunnel header, and followed by
+ tunnel trailer. Measured in Bytes.
+- **Device Under Test (DUT)**: 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 with RFC2544, using
+ SUT instead of RFC2544 DUT. Device under test
+ (DUT) can be re-introduced when analyzing test results using whitebox
+ techniques, but this document sticks to blackbox testing.
+- **System Under Test (SUT)**: 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.
+- **Bi-directional throughput tests**: involve packets/frames flowing in
+ both east-west and west-east directions over every tested interface of
+ SUT/DUT. Packet flow metrics are measured per direction, and can be
+ reported as aggregate for both directions (i.e. throughput) and/or
+ separately for each measured direction (i.e. latency). In most cases
+ bi-directional tests use the same (symmetric) load in both directions.
+- **Uni-directional throughput tests**: involve packets/frames flowing in
+ only one direction, i.e. either east-west or west-east direction, over
+ every tested interface of SUT/DUT. Packet flow metrics are measured
+ and are reported for measured direction.
+- **Packet Loss Ratio (PLR)**: ratio of packets received relative to packets
+ transmitted over the test trial duration, calculated using formula:
+ PLR = ( pkts_transmitted - pkts_received ) / pkts_transmitted.
+ For bi-directional throughput tests aggregate PLR is calculated based
+ on the aggregate number of packets transmitted and received.
+- **Packet Throughput Rate**: maximum packet offered load DUT/SUT forwards
+ within the specified Packet Loss Ratio (PLR). In many cases the rate
+ depends on the frame size processed by DUT/SUT. Hence packet
+ throughput rate MUST be quoted with specific frame size as received by
+ DUT/SUT during the measurement. For bi-directional tests, packet
+ throughput rate should be reported as aggregate for both directions.
+ Measured in packets-per-second (pps) or frames-per-second (fps),
+ equivalent metrics.
+- **Bandwidth Throughput Rate**: a secondary metric calculated from packet
+ throughput rate using formula: bw_rate = pkt_rate * (frame_size +
+ L1_overhead) * 8, where L1_overhead for Ethernet includes preamble (8
+ Bytes) and inter-frame gap (12 Bytes). For bi-directional tests,
+ bandwidth throughput rate should be reported as aggregate for both
+ directions. Expressed in bits-per-second (bps).
+- **Non Drop Rate (NDR)**: maximum packet/bandwith throughput rate sustained
+ by DUT/SUT at PLR equal zero (zero packet loss) specific to tested
+ frame size(s). MUST be quoted with specific packet size as received by
+ DUT/SUT during the measurement. Packet NDR measured in
+ packets-per-second (or fps), bandwidth NDR expressed in
+ bits-per-second (bps).
+- **Partial Drop Rate (PDR)**: maximum packet/bandwith throughput rate
+ sustained by DUT/SUT at PLR greater than zero (non-zero packet loss)
+ specific to tested frame size(s). MUST be quoted with specific packet
+ size as received by DUT/SUT during the measurement. Packet PDR
+ measured in packets-per-second (or fps), bandwidth PDR expressed in
+ bits-per-second (bps).
+- **Maximum Receive Rate (MRR)**: packet/bandwidth rate regardless of PLR
+ sustained by DUT/SUT under specified Maximum Transmit Rate (MTR)
+ packet load offered by traffic generator. MUST be quoted with both
+ specific packet size and MTR as received by DUT/SUT during the
+ measurement. Packet MRR measured in packets-per-second (or fps),
+ bandwidth MRR expressed in bits-per-second (bps).
+- **Trial**: a single measurement step.
+- **Trial duration**: amount of time over which packets are transmitted and
+ received in a single measurement step.