SmartFlow 1.50

1
Introduction
2
What Is SmartFlow?

• SmartFlow is the first application to test QoS
  and analyze the performance and behavior of the
  new breed of policy-based network devices.

Switching Fabric
Congested port
Output Port
High priority - Telnet
Input Ports
Medium priority - FTP
Stream-based measurements include Throughput,
min/max/ave latency, latency distribution, and
latency variation.
Low priority - HTTP
3
SmartFlow Basic Features

• Automated Throughput Test.
• Enhanced Wizards for Network and Flow setup.
• Multiple Traffic Patterns via the Group Wizard.
• IP/UDP/TCP/ICMP frames can be chosen for flows.
• The user can specify a payload fill pattern per
  port.
• Iterate tests over different frame lengths.
• High Density Cyclic flows.
• BGP4 router testing including BGP flapping.
• Tracking of Stray Flows.
• Results can be output in HTML format.
• Results from all tests can be exported at one
  time.

4
Summary of SmartFlow test !

• Throughput
• Measures the maximum rate at which frames
  from flows and groups sent through a device can
  be sent without frame loss.
• Jumbo
• Measures frame loss, latency, and latency
  distribution in flows and groups of flows sent
  through a device, and updates each of these
  results simultaneously. It also measures latency
  standard deviation based on latency distribution,
  and the number of frames received that were out
  of sequence.
• Frame Loss
• Measures the number of frames lost from
  flows and groups sent through a device.
• Latency
• Measures the minimum, maximum, and average
  latency of received frames in flows and groups of
  flows sent through a device.
• Latency Distribution
• Measures the latency of received frames in
  flows and groups of flows sent through a device,
  and sorts them into 8 latency buckets. Compared
  to the Latency test, this test can provide a
  finer view of latency behavior at the DUTs load
  tolerance limits.
• Latency Over Time
• Latency Snap Shot
• Measures the latency of each received frame,
  for a specified number of frames in flows and
  groups of flows sent through a device.

5
User Interface
6
Main Window - Shortcut Bar
7
Main Window - Setup Run
8
Main Window - Results View
9
Results - Chart
10
Results - Summary
11
Results - Detail
12
Results - Stray Frames
13
Results - Port Errors
14
Saving Results - 3 Ways

• Results can be saved in a variety of ways
• 1. Saved in the configuration file by selecting
  File gt Save.
• 2. Saved in individual files the chart is saved
  as a JPEG and the summary, detailed, and stray
  frames reports are saved as CSV.
• 3. Saved in HTML format.

15
Saving Results - HTML
16
SmartBits Connections
17
Connected to a Chassis
18
Help gt About SmartFlow

• Displays the SmartBits controllers and ports
  firmware versions.

19
Base Configuration
20
Test Setup Sequence

• You must configure the Test Setup parameters in
  the correct order.
• The tabs appear in the correct configuration
  sequence.
• Depending on the test, some tabs may not be
  applicable (i.e., BGP tab)
• Configure the base configuration parameters from
  the Networks, Cards, and WAN tabs.

Base Configuration
Steps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
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Reserving Ports

• Once connected, reserve the ports from the Cards
  Tab.
• This applies to all except the SMB-200 which is
  not multi-user.

22
Base Configuration - Cards tab

• The Cards tab is used to configure the Ports
  behavior.
• It is also used (along with the Networks tab) to
  set the defaults for the flows.

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Cards tab - Read State

• Useful for large systems where only a few ports
  are being used.
• Three States Active, Inactive, Listening.
• Active Can be either a Transmitter and/or
  Receiver port.
• Inactive Does not show up in SmartFlow anywhere.
• Listening Does not show up in other screens but
  ports are configured and listen for stray frames
  on the stray frame report.

24
Card Setup
25
Base Configuration - Networks tab

• The Networks tab defines the IP networks
  associated with each port.
• The Port IP Address can act as the next-hop
  router for each of the networks created. It can
  also be used to ping the port.
• The Networks tab also sets the defaults for the
  flows.

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Base Configuration - Network Wizard

• Add IP networks quickly using the Network Wizard!
• The Network Wizard automatically creates multiple
  networks across multiple ports.

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Creating Groups of Flows
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Creating Groups of Flows - Before

• No Groups or Flows (traffic) created yet.

Groups Window Pane and Tool Buttons
29
Creating Groups of Flows - After

• Four Groups each associated with three Flows
  created.

30
Modifying Individual Flows
31
Modifying/Creating Flows

• Flows can be added or modified from the
  SmartFlows tab.

Secondary Setup tabs
Flow Window Pane and Tool Bar
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Flow Attributes Tabs

• The SmartFlows tab has a number of sub-tabs for
  modifying the Layer 2-4 attributes of the flows.

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Flow Attributes - Traffic Tab

• The flow attributes such as the
  source/destination physical port, IP protocol,
  frame length, and variable fields within the flow.

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Flow Attributes - Ethernet II Tab

• The flows source and destination Layer 2 MAC
  addresses (from the Cards tab).

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Flow Attributes - VLAN Tab

• Only valid if VLAN ID is enabled from the
  Networks tab.

Set on the Networks tab
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Flow Attributes - IP Tab

• The flows source and destination IP addresses
  (from the Networks tab), TOS or Diffserv bits,
  and Time to Live field.

Set to 1 with Cyclic Flows
Priority Options
37
Flow Attributes - TCP Tab

• The flows source and destination TCP port (IP
  protocol 6).

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Flow Attributes - UDP Tab

• The flows source and destination UDP port (IP
  protocol17).

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Flow Attributes - ICMP Tab

• The flows ICMP Type and Code fields (IP
  protocol1)

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Test Setup
41
Test Setup Tab - Test Iterations Tab

• Frame Sizes (Global or per Flow), Test Loads, and
  Iteration constants.
• Continuous looping mode and Offered vs. Intended
  load.

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Frame Sizes - SmartFlows Tab

• Each flow can manually be set to its own frame
  length.
• Or it can be assigned to a previously configured
  sequence.

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Frame Sizes - How Sequences are Created

• From the Test Setup tab, select the Custom Frame
  Size Table.
• The number if Iterations should be equal to the
  number of test loads.

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Frame Sizes - Frame Size Automation

• When Frame Size Automation is enabled (Global),
  all Flows are set to one frame size.

45
Test Loads - Cards Tab

• Every port can run at the same rate.
• Or they can be assigned to a previously
  configured sequence.

Step Method
Sequence Method
46
Test Loads - How Sequences are Created
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Test Setup Tab - Learning Tab

• How the application will send learning frames.

48
Learning - Send to Ports
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Test Setup Tab - Individual Tests Tab

• Test specific parameters for the Latency
  Distribution, Latency SnapShot, Latency Over
  Time, and Throughput tests.

50
User Info Tab (for HTML Export)

• This information is used for the top of the
  summary and chart HTML files and contains
  information about the configuration.

51
Running a Test and Viewing Results
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The Shortcut Bar
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Detailed TestSetup and Results
54
Order to Accomplish Tests

• SmartFlow tests should be accomplished in the
  following order
• Frame Loss
• Throughput
• Latency
• Latency Distribution
• Jumbo
• Latency Over Time
• Latency Snap Shot

55
Results - Frame Loss

• Measures the number of frames lost from flows and
  groups sent through a device.

56
Results - Throughput

• Measures the maximum rate at which frames from
  flows and groups sent through a device can be
  sent without frame loss.
• Determines this rate automatically.

57
Results - Latency

• Measures the minimum, maximum, and average
  latency of received frames in flows and groups of
  flows sent through a device.

58
Results - Latency Distribution

• Measures the latency of received frames in flows
  and groups of flows sent through a device, and
  sorts them into 8 latency buckets.
• Compared to the Latency test, this test can
  provide a finer view of latency behavior at the
  DUT's load tolerance limits.
• The standard deviation for the Latency
  Distribution test depends in part on the size of
  the latency buckets you specify in the test setup.

Discussed on the next slide
59
Standard Deviation (Jitter)

• Jitter is variation in latency between packets in
  a flow.
• Jitter is reported as latency Standard
  Deviation in SmartFlow.
• The Standard Deviation is based on the Latency
  Distribution buckets and is displayed in
  microseconds
• If the latency distribution all falls into one
  bucket, the standard deviation is zero (0).
• If the latency distribution spans multiple
  buckets the standard deviation will be larger.
• Standard Deviation results also starts increasing
  when frame loss begins to occur.

60
Results - Jumbo

• Simultaneously measures the frame loss, latency,
  and latency distribution in flows and groups of
  flows sent through a device.
• Updates each of these test results
  simultaneously.
• The latency Standard Deviation is based on
  latency distribution.
• Displays the number of frames sent, received, and
  lost.

61
Results - Latency Over Time

• The Latency Over Time test shows the overall
  pattern of latency across time as the test is
  run.
• Shows for each receiving port, the minimum,
  average, and maximum latency of frames received
  during the specified time interval throughout the
  test.

62
Results - Latency Snap Shot

• Measures the latency of each received frame, for
  a specified number of frames in flows and groups
  of flows sent through a device.
• Latency is calculated for all received frames.