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EXPERIMENTAL
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                         M. MathisRequest for Comments: 8337                                   Google, IncCategory: Experimental                                         A. MortonISSN: 2070-1721                                                AT&T Labs                                                              March 2018Model-Based Metrics for Bulk Transport CapacityAbstract   This document introduces a new class of Model-Based Metrics designed   to assess if a complete Internet path can be expected to meet a   predefined Target Transport Performance by applying a suite of IP   diagnostic tests to successive subpaths.  The subpath-at-a-time tests   can be robustly applied to critical infrastructure, such as network   interconnections or even individual devices, to accurately detect if   any part of the infrastructure will prevent paths traversing it from   meeting the Target Transport Performance.   Model-Based Metrics rely on mathematical models to specify a Targeted   IP Diagnostic Suite, a set of IP diagnostic tests designed to assess   whether common transport protocols can be expected to meet a   predetermined Target Transport Performance over an Internet path.   For Bulk Transport Capacity, the IP diagnostics are built using test   streams and statistical criteria for evaluating the packet transfer   that mimic TCP over the complete path.  The temporal structure of the   test stream (e.g., bursts) mimics TCP or other transport protocols   carrying bulk data over a long path.  However, they are constructed   to be independent of the details of the subpath under test, end   systems, or applications.  Likewise, the success criteria evaluates   the packet transfer statistics of the subpath against criteria   determined by protocol performance models applied to the Target   Transport Performance of the complete path.  The success criteria   also does not depend on the details of the subpath, end systems, or   applications.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 1]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018Status of This Memo   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is   published for examination, experimental implementation, and   evaluation.   This document defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet   community.  This document is a product of the Internet Engineering   Task Force (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF   community.  It has received public review and has been approved for   publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Not   all documents approved by the IESG are candidates for any level of   Internet Standard; seeSection 2 of RFC 7841.   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained athttps://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8337.Copyright Notice   Copyright (c) 2018 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the   document authors.  All rights reserved.   This document is subject toBCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents   (https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of   publication of this document.  Please review these documents   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as   described in the Simplified BSD License.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 2]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018Table of Contents1. Introduction ....................................................42. Overview ........................................................53. Terminology .....................................................83.1. General Terminology ........................................83.2. Terminology about Paths ...................................103.3. Properties ................................................113.4. Basic Parameters ..........................................123.5. Ancillary Parameters ......................................133.6. Temporal Patterns for Test Streams ........................143.7. Tests .....................................................154. Background .....................................................164.1. TCP Properties ............................................184.2. Diagnostic Approach .......................................204.3. New Requirements Relative toRFC 2330 .....................215. Common Models and Parameters ...................................225.1. Target End-to-End Parameters ..............................225.2. Common Model Calculations .................................225.3. Parameter Derating ........................................235.4. Test Preconditions ........................................246. Generating Test Streams ........................................246.1. Mimicking Slowstart .......................................256.2. Constant Window Pseudo CBR ................................276.3. Scanned Window Pseudo CBR .................................286.4. Concurrent or Channelized Testing .........................287. Interpreting the Results .......................................297.1. Test Outcomes .............................................297.2. Statistical Criteria for Estimating run_length ............317.3. Reordering Tolerance ......................................338. IP Diagnostic Tests ............................................348.1. Basic Data Rate and Packet Transfer Tests .................348.1.1. Delivery Statistics at Paced Full Data Rate ........358.1.2. Delivery Statistics at Full Data Windowed Rate .....358.1.3. Background Packet Transfer Statistics Tests ........358.2. Standing Queue Tests ......................................368.2.1. Congestion Avoidance ...............................378.2.2. Bufferbloat ........................................378.2.3. Non-excessive Loss .................................388.2.4. Duplex Self-Interference ...........................388.3. Slowstart Tests ...........................................398.3.1. Full Window Slowstart Test .........................398.3.2. Slowstart AQM Test .................................398.4. Sender Rate Burst Tests ...................................408.5. Combined and Implicit Tests ...............................418.5.1. Sustained Full-Rate Bursts Test ....................418.5.2. Passive Measurements ...............................42Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 3]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20189. Example ........................................................439.1. Observations about Applicability ..........................4410. Validation ....................................................4511. Security Considerations .......................................4612. IANA Considerations ...........................................4713. Informative References ........................................47Appendix A.  Model Derivations ....................................52A.1.  Queueless Reno ............................................52Appendix B.  The Effects of ACK Scheduling ........................53   Acknowledgments ...................................................55   Authors' Addresses ................................................551.  Introduction   Model-Based Metrics (MBM) rely on peer-reviewed mathematical models   to specify a Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite (TIDS), a set of IP   diagnostic tests designed to assess whether common transport   protocols can be expected to meet a predetermined Target Transport   Performance over an Internet path.  This document describes the   modeling framework to derive the test parameters for assessing an   Internet path's ability to support a predetermined Bulk Transport   Capacity.   Each test in TIDS measures some aspect of IP packet transfer needed   to meet the Target Transport Performance.  For Bulk Transport   Capacity, the TIDS includes IP diagnostic tests to verify that there   is sufficient IP capacity (data rate), sufficient queue space at   bottlenecks to absorb and deliver typical transport bursts, low   enough background packet loss ratio to not interfere with congestion   control, and other properties described below.  Unlike typical IP   Performance Metrics (IPPM) that yield measures of network properties,   Model-Based Metrics nominally yield pass/fail evaluations of the   ability of standard transport protocols to meet the specific   performance objective over some network path.   In most cases, the IP diagnostic tests can be implemented by   combining existing IPPM metrics with additional controls for   generating test streams having a specified temporal structure (bursts   or standing queues caused by constant bit rate streams, etc.) and   statistical criteria for evaluating packet transfer.  The temporal   structure of the test streams mimics transport protocol behavior over   the complete path; the statistical criteria models the transport   protocol's response to less-than-ideal IP packet transfer.  In   control theory terms, the tests are "open loop".  Note that running a   test requires the coordinated activity of sending and receiving   measurement points.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 4]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   This document addresses Bulk Transport Capacity.  It describes an   alternative to the approach presented in "A Framework for Defining   Empirical Bulk Transfer Capacity Metrics" [RFC3148].  Other Model-   Based Metrics may cover other applications and transports, such as   Voice over IP (VoIP) over UDP, RTP, and new transport protocols.   This document assumes a traditional Reno TCP-style, self-clocked,   window-controlled transport protocol that uses packet loss and   Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) Congestion Experienced (CE)   marks for congestion feedback.  There are currently some experimental   protocols and congestion control algorithms that are rate based or   otherwise fall outside of these assumptions.  In the future, these   new protocols and algorithms may call for revised models.   The MBM approach, i.e., mapping Target Transport Performance to a   Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite (TIDS) of IP tests, solves some   intrinsic problems with using TCP or other throughput-maximizing   protocols for measurement.  In particular, all throughput-maximizing   protocols (especially TCP congestion control) cause some level of   congestion in order to detect when they have reached the available   capacity limitation of the network.  This self-inflicted congestion   obscures the network properties of interest and introduces non-linear   dynamic equilibrium behaviors that make any resulting measurements   useless as metrics because they have no predictive value for   conditions or paths different from that of the measurement itself.   In order to prevent these effects, it is necessary to avoid the   effects of TCP congestion control in the measurement method.  These   issues are discussed at length inSection 4.  Readers who are   unfamiliar with basic properties of TCP and TCP-like congestion   control may find it easier to start atSection 4 or 4.1.   A Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite does not have such difficulties.  IP   diagnostics can be constructed such that they make strong statistical   statements about path properties that are independent of measurement   details, such as vantage and choice of measurement points.2.  Overview   This document describes a modeling framework for deriving a Targeted   IP Diagnostic Suite from a predetermined Target Transport   Performance.  It is not a complete specification and relies on other   standards documents to define important details such as packet type-P   selection, sampling techniques, vantage selection, etc.  Fully   Specified Targeted IP Diagnostic Suites (FSTIDSs) define all of these   details.  A Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite (TIDS) refers to the subset   of such a specification that is in scope for this document.  This   terminology is further defined inSection 3.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 5]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018Section 4 describes some key aspects of TCP behavior and what they   imply about the requirements for IP packet transfer.  Most of the IP   diagnostic tests needed to confirm that the path meets these   properties can be built on existing IPPM metrics, with the addition   of statistical criteria for evaluating packet transfer and, in a few   cases, new mechanisms to implement the required temporal structure.   (One group of tests, the standing queue tests described inSection 8.2, don't correspond to existing IPPM metrics, but suitable   new IPPM metrics can be patterned after the existing definitions.)   Figure 1 shows the MBM modeling and measurement framework.  The   Target Transport Performance at the top of the figure is determined   by the needs of the user or application, which are outside the scope   of this document.  For Bulk Transport Capacity, the main performance   parameter of interest is the Target Data Rate.  However, since TCP's   ability to compensate for less-than-ideal network conditions is   fundamentally affected by the Round-Trip Time (RTT) and the Maximum   Transmission Unit (MTU) of the complete path, these parameters must   also be specified in advance based on knowledge about the intended   application setting.  They may reflect a specific application over a   real path through the Internet or an idealized application and   hypothetical path representing a typical user community.Section 5   describes the common parameters and models derived from the Target   Transport Performance.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 6]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018                      Target Transport Performance            (Target Data Rate, Target RTT, and Target MTU)                                   |                           ________V_________                           |  mathematical  |                           |     models     |                           |                |                           ------------------          Traffic parameters |            | Statistical criteria                             |            |                      _______V____________V____Targeted IP____                     |       |   * * *    | Diagnostic Suite  |                _____|_______V____________V________________   |              __|____________V____________V______________  |  |              |           IP diagnostic tests            | |  |              |              |            |              | |  |              | _____________V__        __V____________  | |  |              | |   traffic    |        |   Delivery  |  | |  |              | |   pattern    |        |  Evaluation |  | |  |              | |  generation  |        |             |  | |  |              | -------v--------        ------^--------  | |  |              |   |    v    test stream via   ^      |   | |--              |   |  -->======================>--    |   | |              |   |       subpath under test         |   |-              ----V----------------------------------V--- |                  | |  |                             | |  |                  V V  V                             V V  V              fail/inconclusive            pass/fail/inconclusive          (traffic generation status)           (test result)                   Figure 1: Overall Modeling Framework   Mathematical TCP models are used to determine traffic parameters and   subsequently to design traffic patterns that mimic TCP (which has   burst characteristics at multiple time scales) or other transport   protocols delivering bulk data and operating at the Target Data Rate,   MTU, and RTT over a full range of conditions.  Using the techniques   described inSection 6, the traffic patterns are generated based on   the three Target parameters of the complete path (Target Data Rate,   Target RTT, and Target MTU), independent of the properties of   individual subpaths.  As much as possible, the test streams are   generated deterministically (precomputed) to minimize the extent to   which test methodology, measurement points, measurement vantage, or   path partitioning affect the details of the measurement traffic.Section 7 describes packet transfer statistics and methods to test   against the statistical criteria provided by the mathematical models.   Since the statistical criteria typically apply to the complete pathMathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 7]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   (a composition of subpaths) [RFC6049], in situ testing requires that   the end-to-end statistical criteria be apportioned as separate   criteria for each subpath.  Subpaths that are expected to be   bottlenecks would then be permitted to contribute a larger fraction   of the end-to-end packet loss budget.  In compensation, subpaths that   are not expected to exhibit bottlenecks must be constrained to   contribute less packet loss.  Thus, the statistical criteria for each   subpath in each test of a TIDS is an apportioned share of the end-to-   end statistical criteria for the complete path that was determined by   the mathematical model.Section 8 describes the suite of individual tests needed to verify   all of the required IP delivery properties.  A subpath passes if and   only if all of the individual IP diagnostic tests pass.  Any subpath   that fails any test indicates that some users are likely to fail to   attain their Target Transport Performance under some conditions.  In   addition to passing or failing, a test can be deemed inconclusive for   a number of reasons, including the following: the precomputed traffic   pattern was not accurately generated, the measurement results were   not statistically significant, the test failed to meet some required   test preconditions, etc.  If all tests pass but some are   inconclusive, then the entire suite is deemed to be inconclusive.   InSection 9, we present an example TIDS that might be representative   of High Definition (HD) video and illustrate how Model-Based Metrics   can be used to address difficult measurement situations, such as   confirming that inter-carrier exchanges have sufficient performance   and capacity to deliver HD video between ISPs.   Since there is some uncertainty in the modeling process,Section 10   describes a validation procedure to diagnose and minimize false   positive and false negative results.3.  Terminology   Terms containing underscores (rather than spaces) appear in equations   and typically have algorithmic definitions.3.1.  General Terminology   Target:  A general term for any parameter specified by or derived      from the user's application or transport performance requirements.   Target Transport Performance:  Application or transport performance      target values for the complete path.  For Bulk Transport Capacity      defined in this document, the Target Transport Performance      includes the Target Data Rate, Target RTT, and Target MTU as      described below.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 8]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Target Data Rate:  The specified application data rate required for      an application's proper operation.  Conventional Bulk Transport      Capacity (BTC) metrics are focused on the Target Data Rate;      however, these metrics have little or no predictive value because      they do not consider the effects of the other two parameters of      the Target Transport Performance -- the RTT and MTU of the      complete paths.   Target RTT (Round-Trip Time):  The specified baseline (minimum) RTT      of the longest complete path over which the user expects to be      able to meet the target performance.  TCP and other transport      protocol's ability to compensate for path problems is generally      proportional to the number of round trips per second.  The Target      RTT determines both key parameters of the traffic patterns (e.g.,      burst sizes) and the thresholds on acceptable IP packet transfer      statistics.  The Target RTT must be specified considering      appropriate packets sizes: MTU-sized packets on the forward path      and ACK-sized packets (typically, header_overhead) on the return      path.  Note that Target RTT is specified and not measured; MBM      measurements derived for a given target_RTT will be applicable to      any path with a smaller RTT.   Target MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit):  The specified maximum MTU      supported by the complete path over which the application expects      to meet the target performance.  In this document, we assume a      1500-byte MTU unless otherwise specified.  If a subpath has a      smaller MTU, then it becomes the Target MTU for the complete path,      and all model calculations and subpath tests must use the same      smaller MTU.   Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite (TIDS):  A set of IP diagnostic tests      designed to determine if an otherwise ideal complete path      containing the subpath under test can sustain flows at a specific      target_data_rate using packets with a size of target_MTU when the      RTT of the complete path is target_RTT.   Fully Specified Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite (FSTIDS):  A TIDS      together with additional specifications such as measurement packet      type ("type-p" [RFC2330]) that are out of scope for this document      and need to be drawn from other standards documents.   Bulk Transport Capacity (BTC):  Bulk Transport Capacity metrics      evaluate an Internet path's ability to carry bulk data, such as      large files, streaming (non-real-time) video, and, under some      conditions, web images and other content.  Prior efforts to define      BTC metrics have been based on [RFC3148], which predates our      understanding of TCP and the requirements described inSection 4.      In general, "Bulk Transport" indicates that performance isMathis & Morton               Experimental                      [Page 9]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018      determined by the interplay between the network, cross traffic,      and congestion control in the transport protocol.  It excludes      situations where performance is dominated by the RTT alone (e.g.,      transactions) or bottlenecks elsewhere, such as in the application      itself.   IP diagnostic tests:  Measurements or diagnostics to determine if      packet transfer statistics meet some precomputed target.   traffic patterns:  The temporal patterns or burstiness of traffic      generated by applications over transport protocols such as TCP.      There are several mechanisms that cause bursts at various      timescales as described inSection 4.1.  Our goal here is to mimic      the range of common patterns (burst sizes, rates, etc.), without      tying our applicability to specific applications, implementations,      or technologies, which are sure to become stale.   Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN):  See [RFC3168].   packet transfer statistics:  Raw, detailed, or summary statistics      about packet transfer properties of the IP layer including packet      losses, ECN Congestion Experienced (CE) marks, reordering, or any      other properties that may be germane to transport performance.   packet loss ratio:  As defined in [RFC7680].   apportioned:  To divide and allocate, for example, budgeting packet      loss across multiple subpaths such that the losses will accumulate      to less than a specified end-to-end loss ratio.  Apportioning      metrics is essentially the inverse of the process described in      [RFC5835].   open loop:  A control theory term used to describe a class of      techniques where systems that naturally exhibit circular      dependencies can be analyzed by suppressing some of the      dependencies, such that the resulting dependency graph is acyclic.3.2.  Terminology about Paths   See [RFC2330] and [RFC7398] for existing terms and definitions.   data sender:  Host sending data and receiving ACKs.   data receiver:  Host receiving data and sending ACKs.   complete path:  The end-to-end path from the data sender to the data      receiver.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 10]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   subpath:  A portion of the complete path.  Note that there is no      requirement that subpaths be non-overlapping.  A subpath can be as      small as a single device, link, or interface.   measurement point:  Measurement points as described in [RFC7398].   test path:  A path between two measurement points that includes a      subpath of the complete path under test.  If the measurement      points are off path, the test path may include "test leads"      between the measurement points and the subpath.   dominant bottleneck:  The bottleneck that generally determines most      packet transfer statistics for the entire path.  It typically      determines a flow's self-clock timing, packet loss, and ECN CE      marking rate, with other potential bottlenecks having less effect      on the packet transfer statistics.  SeeSection 4.1 on TCP      properties.   front path:  The subpath from the data sender to the dominant      bottleneck.   back path:  The subpath from the dominant bottleneck to the receiver.   return path:  The path taken by the ACKs from the data receiver to      the data sender.   cross traffic:  Other, potentially interfering, traffic competing for      network resources (such as bandwidth and/or queue capacity).3.3.  Properties   The following properties are determined by the complete path and   application.  These are described in more detail inSection 5.1.   Application Data Rate:  General term for the data rate as seen by the      application above the transport layer in bytes per second.  This      is the payload data rate and explicitly excludes transport-level      and lower-level headers (TCP/IP or other protocols),      retransmissions, and other overhead that is not part of the total      quantity of data delivered to the application.   IP rate:  The actual number of IP-layer bytes delivered through a      subpath, per unit time, including TCP and IP headers, retransmits,      and other TCP/IP overhead.  This is the same as IP-type-P Link      Usage in [RFC5136].Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 11]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   IP capacity:  The maximum number of IP-layer bytes that can be      transmitted through a subpath, per unit time, including TCP and IP      headers, retransmits, and other TCP/IP overhead.  This is the same      as IP-type-P Link Capacity in [RFC5136].   bottleneck IP capacity:  The IP capacity of the dominant bottleneck      in the forward path.  All throughput-maximizing protocols estimate      this capacity by observing the IP rate delivered through the      bottleneck.  Most protocols derive their self-clocks from the      timing of this data.  SeeSection 4.1 andAppendix B for more      details.   implied bottleneck IP capacity:  The bottleneck IP capacity implied      by the ACKs returning from the receiver.  It is determined by      looking at how much application data the ACK stream at the sender      reports as delivered to the data receiver per unit time at various      timescales.  If the return path is thinning, batching, or      otherwise altering the ACK timing, the implied bottleneck IP      capacity over short timescales might be substantially larger than      the bottleneck IP capacity averaged over a full RTT.  Since TCP      derives its clock from the data delivered through the bottleneck,      the front path must have sufficient buffering to absorb any data      bursts at the dimensions (size and IP rate) implied by the ACK      stream, which are potentially doubled during slowstart.  If the      return path is not altering the ACK stream, then the implied      bottleneck IP capacity will be the same as the bottleneck IP      capacity.  SeeSection 4.1 andAppendix B for more details.   sender interface rate:  The IP rate that corresponds to the IP      capacity of the data sender's interface.  Due to sender efficiency      algorithms, including technologies such as TCP segmentation      offload (TSO), nearly all modern servers deliver data in bursts at      full interface link rate.  Today, 1 or 10 Gb/s are typical.   header_overhead:  The IP and TCP header sizes, which are the portion      of each MTU not available for carrying application payload.      Without loss of generality, this is assumed to be the size for      returning acknowledgments (ACKs).  For TCP, the Maximum Segment      Size (MSS) is the Target MTU minus the header_overhead.3.4.  Basic Parameters   Basic parameters common to models and subpath tests are defined here.   Formulas for target_window_size and target_run_length appear inSection 5.2.  Note that these are mixed between application transport   performance (excludes headers) and IP performance (includes TCP   headers and retransmissions as part of the IP payload).Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 12]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Network power:  The observed data rate divided by the observed RTT.      Network power indicates how effectively a transport protocol is      filling a network.   Window [size]:  The total quantity of data carried by packets      in-flight plus the data represented by ACKs circulating in the      network is referred to as the window.  SeeSection 4.1.  Sometimes      used with other qualifiers (congestion window (cwnd) or receiver      window) to indicate which mechanism is controlling the window.   pipe size:  A general term for the number of packets needed in flight      (the window size) to exactly fill a network path or subpath.  It      corresponds to the window size, which maximizes network power.  It      is often used with additional qualifiers to specify which path,      under what conditions, etc.   target_window_size:  The average number of packets in flight (the      window size) needed to meet the Target Data Rate for the specified      Target RTT and Target MTU.  It implies the scale of the bursts      that the network might experience.   run length:  A general term for the observed, measured, or specified      number of packets that are (expected to be) delivered between      losses or ECN CE marks.  Nominally, it is one over the sum of the      loss and ECN CE marking probabilities, if they are independently      and identically distributed.   target_run_length:  The target_run_length is an estimate of the      minimum number of non-congestion marked packets needed between      losses or ECN CE marks necessary to attain the target_data_rate      over a path with the specified target_RTT and target_MTU, as      computed by a mathematical model of TCP congestion control.  A      reference calculation is shown inSection 5.2 and alternatives inAppendix A.   reference target_run_length:  target_run_length computed precisely by      the method inSection 5.2.  This is likely to be slightly more      conservative than required by modern TCP implementations.3.5.  Ancillary Parameters   The following ancillary parameters are used for some tests:   derating:  Under some conditions, the standard models are too      conservative.  The modeling framework permits some latitude in      relaxing or "derating" some test parameters, as described inSection 5.3, in exchange for a more stringent TIDS validationMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 13]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018      procedures, described inSection 10.  Models can be derated by      including a multiplicative derating factor to make tests less      stringent.   subpath_IP_capacity:  The IP capacity of a specific subpath.   test path:  A subpath of a complete path under test.   test_path_RTT:  The RTT observed between two measurement points using      packet sizes that are consistent with the transport protocol.      This is generally MTU-sized packets of the forward path and      packets with a size of header_overhead on the return path.   test_path_pipe:  The pipe size of a test path.  Nominally, it is the      test_path_RTT times the test path IP_capacity.   test_window:  The smallest window sufficient to meet or exceed the      target_rate when operating with a pure self-clock over a test      path.  The test_window is typically calculated as follows (but see      the discussion inAppendix B about the effects of channel      scheduling on RTT):      ceiling(target_data_rate * test_path_RTT / (target_MTU -      header_overhead))      On some test paths, the test_window may need to be adjusted      slightly to compensate for the RTT being inflated by the devices      that schedule packets.3.6.  Temporal Patterns for Test Streams   The terminology below is used to define temporal patterns for test   streams.  These patterns are designed to mimic TCP behavior, as   described inSection 4.1.   packet headway:  Time interval between packets, specified from the      start of one to the start of the next.  For example, if packets      are sent with a 1 ms headway, there will be exactly 1000 packets      per second.   burst headway:  Time interval between bursts, specified from the      start of the first packet of one burst to the start of the first      packet of the next burst.  For example, if 4 packet bursts are      sent with a 1 ms burst headway, there will be exactly 4000 packets      per second.   paced single packets:  Individual packets sent at the specified rate      or packet headway.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 14]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   paced bursts:  Bursts on a timer.  Specify any 3 of the following:      average data rate, packet size, burst size (number of packets),      and burst headway (burst start to start).  By default, the bursts      are assumed to occur at full sender interface rate, such that the      packet headway within each burst is the minimum supported by the      sender's interface.  Under some conditions, it is useful to      explicitly specify the packet headway within each burst.   slowstart rate:  Paced bursts of four packets each at an average data      rate equal to twice the implied bottleneck IP capacity (but not      more than the sender interface rate).  This mimics TCP slowstart.      This is a two-level burst pattern described in more detail inSection 6.1.  If the implied bottleneck IP capacity is more than      half of the sender interface rate, the slowstart rate becomes the      sender interface rate.   slowstart burst:  A specified number of packets in a two-level burst      pattern that resembles slowstart.  This mimics one round of TCP      slowstart.   repeated slowstart bursts:  Slowstart bursts repeated once per      target_RTT.  For TCP, each burst would be twice as large as the      prior burst, and the sequence would end at the first ECN CE mark      or lost packet.  For measurement, all slowstart bursts would be      the same size (nominally, target_window_size but other sizes might      be specified), and the ECN CE marks and lost packets are counted.3.7.  Tests   The tests described in this document can be grouped according to   their applicability.   Capacity tests:  Capacity tests determine if a network subpath has      sufficient capacity to deliver the Target Transport Performance.      As long as the test stream is within the proper envelope for the      Target Transport Performance, the average packet losses or ECN CE      marks must be below the statistical criteria computed by the      model.  As such, capacity tests reflect parameters that can      transition from passing to failing as a consequence of cross      traffic, additional presented load, or the actions of other      network users.  By definition, capacity tests also consume      significant network resources (data capacity and/or queue buffer      space), and the test schedules must be balanced by their cost.   Monitoring tests:  Monitoring tests are designed to capture the most      important aspects of a capacity test without presenting excessive      ongoing load themselves.  As such, they may miss some details ofMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 15]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018      the network's performance but can serve as a useful reduced-cost      proxy for a capacity test, for example, to support continuous      production network monitoring.   Engineering tests:  Engineering tests evaluate how network algorithms      (such as Active Queue Management (AQM) and channel allocation)      interact with TCP-style self-clocked protocols and adaptive      congestion control based on packet loss and ECN CE marks.  These      tests are likely to have complicated interactions with cross      traffic and, under some conditions, can be inversely sensitive to      load.  For example, a test to verify that an AQM algorithm causes      ECN CE marks or packet drops early enough to limit queue occupancy      may experience a false pass result in the presence of cross      traffic.  It is important that engineering tests be performed      under a wide range of conditions, including both in situ and bench      testing, and over a wide variety of load conditions.  Ongoing      monitoring is less likely to be useful for engineering tests,      although sparse in situ testing might be appropriate.4.  Background   When "Framework for IP Performance Metrics" [RFC2330] was published   in 1998, sound Bulk Transport Capacity (BTC) measurement was known to   be well beyond our capabilities.  Even when "A Framework for Defining   Empirical Bulk Transfer Capacity Metrics" [RFC3148] was published, we   knew that we didn't really understand the problem.  Now, in   hindsight, we understand why assessing BTC is such a difficult   problem:   o  TCP is a control system with circular dependencies -- everything      affects performance, including components that are explicitly not      part of the test (for example, the host processing power is not      in-scope of path performance tests).   o  Congestion control is a dynamic equilibrium process, similar to      processes observed in chemistry and other fields.  The network and      transport protocols find an operating point that balances opposing      forces: the transport protocol pushing harder (raising the data      rate and/or window) while the network pushes back (raising packet      loss ratio, RTT, and/or ECN CE marks).  By design, TCP congestion      control keeps raising the data rate until the network gives some      indication that its capacity has been exceeded by dropping packets      or adding ECN CE marks.  If a TCP sender accurately fills a path      to its IP capacity (e.g., the bottleneck is 100% utilized), then      packet losses and ECN CE marks are mostly determined by the TCP      sender and how aggressively it seeks additional capacity; they are      not determined by the network itself, because the network must      send exactly the signals that TCP needs to set its rate.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 16]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   o  TCP's ability to compensate for network impairments (such as loss,      delay, and delay variation, outside of those caused by TCP itself)      is directly proportional to the number of send-ACK round-trip      exchanges per second (i.e., inversely proportional to the RTT).      As a consequence, an impaired subpath may pass a short RTT local      test even though it fails when the subpath is extended by an      effectively perfect network to some larger RTT.   o  TCP has an extreme form of the Observer Effect (colloquially known      as the "Heisenberg Effect").  Measurement and cross traffic      interact in unknown and ill-defined ways.  The situation is      actually worse than the traditional physics problem where you can      at least estimate bounds on the relative momentum of the      measurement and measured particles.  In general, for network      measurement, you cannot determine even the order of magnitude of      the effect.  It is possible to construct measurement scenarios      where the measurement traffic starves real user traffic, yielding      an overly inflated measurement.  The inverse is also possible: the      user traffic can fill the network, such that the measurement      traffic detects only minimal available capacity.  In general, you      cannot determine which scenario might be in effect, so you cannot      gauge the relative magnitude of the uncertainty introduced by      interactions with other network traffic.   o  As a consequence of the properties listed above, it is difficult,      if not impossible, for two independent implementations (hardware      or software) of TCP congestion control to produce equivalent      performance results [RFC6576] under the same network conditions.   These properties are a consequence of the dynamic equilibrium   behavior intrinsic to how all throughput-maximizing protocols   interact with the Internet.  These protocols rely on control systems   based on estimated network metrics to regulate the quantity of data   to send into the network.  The packet-sending characteristics in turn   alter the network properties estimated by the control system metrics,   such that there are circular dependencies between every transmission   characteristic and every estimated metric.  Since some of these   dependencies are nonlinear, the entire system is nonlinear, and any   change anywhere causes a difficult-to-predict response in network   metrics.  As a consequence, Bulk Transport Capacity metrics have not   fulfilled the analytic framework envisioned in [RFC2330].   Model-Based Metrics overcome these problems by making the measurement   system open loop: the packet transfer statistics (akin to the network   estimators) do not affect the traffic or traffic patterns (bursts),   which are computed on the basis of the Target Transport Performance.   A path or subpath meeting the Target Transfer PerformanceMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 17]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   requirements would exhibit packet transfer statistics and estimated   metrics that would not cause the control system to slow the traffic   below the Target Data Rate.4.1.  TCP Properties   TCP and other self-clocked protocols (e.g., the Stream Control   Transmission Protocol (SCTP)) carry the vast majority of all Internet   data.  Their dominant bulk data transport behavior is to have an   approximately fixed quantity of data and acknowledgments (ACKs)   circulating in the network.  The data receiver reports arriving data   by returning ACKs to the data sender, and the data sender typically   responds by sending approximately the same quantity of data back into   the network.  The total quantity of data plus the data represented by   ACKs circulating in the network is referred to as the "window".  The   mandatory congestion control algorithms incrementally adjust the   window by sending slightly more or less data in response to each ACK.   The fundamentally important property of this system is that it is   self-clocked: the data transmissions are a reflection of the ACKs   that were delivered by the network, and the ACKs are a reflection of   the data arriving from the network.   A number of protocol features cause bursts of data, even in idealized   networks that can be modeled as simple queuing systems.   During slowstart, the IP rate is doubled on each RTT by sending twice   as much data as was delivered to the receiver during the prior RTT.   Each returning ACK causes the sender to transmit twice the data the   ACK reported arriving at the receiver.  For slowstart to be able to   fill the pipe, the network must be able to tolerate slowstart bursts   up to the full pipe size inflated by the anticipated window reduction   on the first loss or ECN CE mark.  For example, with classic Reno   congestion control, an optimal slowstart has to end with a burst that   is twice the bottleneck rate for one RTT in duration.  This burst   causes a queue that is equal to the pipe size (i.e., the window is   twice the pipe size), so when the window is halved in response to the   first packet loss, the new window will be the pipe size.   Note that if the bottleneck IP rate is less than half of the capacity   of the front path (which is almost always the case), the slowstart   bursts will not by themselves cause significant queues anywhere else   along the front path; they primarily exercise the queue at the   dominant bottleneck.   Several common efficiency algorithms also cause bursts.  The self-   clock is typically applied to groups of packets: the receiver's   delayed ACK algorithm generally sends only one ACK per two data   segments.  Furthermore, modern senders use TCP segmentation offloadMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 18]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   (TSO) to reduce CPU overhead.  The sender's software stack builds   super-sized TCP segments that the TSO hardware splits into MTU-sized   segments on the wire.  The net effect of TSO, delayed ACK, and other   efficiency algorithms is to send bursts of segments at full sender   interface rate.   Note that these efficiency algorithms are almost always in effect,   including during slowstart, such that slowstart typically has a two-   level burst structure.Section 6.1 describes slowstart in more   detail.   Additional sources of bursts include TCP's initial window [RFC6928],   application pauses, channel allocation mechanisms, and network   devices that schedule ACKs.Appendix B describes these last two   items.  If the application pauses (e.g., stops reading or writing   data) for some fraction of an RTT, many TCP implementations catch up   to their earlier window size by sending a burst of data at the full   sender interface rate.  To fill a network with a realistic   application, the network has to be able to tolerate sender interface   rate bursts large enough to restore the prior window following   application pauses.   Although the sender interface rate bursts are typically smaller than   the last burst of a slowstart, they are at a higher IP rate so they   potentially exercise queues at arbitrary points along the front path   from the data sender up to and including the queue at the dominant   bottleneck.  It is known that these bursts can hurt network   performance, especially in conjunction with other queue pressure;   however, we are not aware of any models for estimating the impact or   prescribing limits on the size or frequency of sender rate bursts.   In conclusion, to verify that a path can meet a Target Transport   Performance, it is necessary to independently confirm that the path   can tolerate bursts at the scales that can be caused by the above   mechanisms.  Three cases are believed to be sufficient:   o  Two-level slowstart bursts sufficient to get connections started      properly.   o  Ubiquitous sender interface rate bursts caused by efficiency      algorithms.  We assume four packet bursts to be the most common      case, since it matches the effects of delayed ACK during      slowstart.  These bursts should be assumed not to significantly      affect packet transfer statistics.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 19]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   o  Infrequent sender interface rate bursts that are the maximum of      the full target_window_size and the initial window size (10      segments in [RFC6928]).  The target_run_length may be derated for      these large fast bursts.   If a subpath can meet the required packet loss ratio for bursts at   all of these scales, then it has sufficient buffering at all   potential bottlenecks to tolerate any of the bursts that are likely   introduced by TCP or other transport protocols.4.2.  Diagnostic Approach   A complete path is expected to be able to attain a specified Bulk   Transport Capacity if the path's RTT is equal to or smaller than the   Target RTT, the path's MTU is equal to or larger than the Target MTU,   and all of the following conditions are met:   1.  The IP capacity is above the Target Data Rate by a sufficient       margin to cover all TCP/IP overheads.  This can be confirmed by       the tests described inSection 8.1 or any number of IP capacity       tests adapted to implement MBM.   2.  The observed packet transfer statistics are better than required       by a suitable TCP performance model (e.g., fewer packet losses or       ECN CE marks).  SeeSection 8.1 or any number of low- or fixed-       rate packet loss tests outside of MBM.   3.  There is sufficient buffering at the dominant bottleneck to       absorb a slowstart burst large enough to get the flow out of       slowstart at a suitable window size.  SeeSection 8.3.   4.  There is sufficient buffering in the front path to absorb and       smooth sender interface rate bursts at all scales that are likely       to be generated by the application, any channel arbitration in       the ACK path, or any other mechanisms.  SeeSection 8.4.   5.  When there is a slowly rising standing queue at the bottleneck,       then the onset of packet loss has to be at an appropriate point       (in time or in queue depth) and has to be progressive, for       example, by use of Active Queue Management [RFC7567].  SeeSection 8.2.   6.  When there is a standing queue at a bottleneck for a shared media       subpath (e.g., a half-duplex link), there must be a suitable       bound on the interaction between ACKs and data, for example, due       to the channel arbitration mechanism.  SeeSection 8.2.4.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 20]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Note that conditions 1 through 4 require capacity tests for   validation and thus may need to be monitored on an ongoing basis.   Conditions 5 and 6 require engineering tests, which are best   performed in controlled environments (e.g., bench tests).  They won't   generally fail due to load but may fail in the field (e.g., due to   configuration errors, etc.) and thus should be spot checked.   A tool that can perform many of the tests is available from   [MBMSource].4.3.  New Requirements Relative toRFC 2330   Model-Based Metrics are designed to fulfill some additional   requirements that were not recognized at the timeRFC 2330 [RFC2330]   was published.  These missing requirements may have significantly   contributed to policy difficulties in the IP measurement space.  Some   additional requirements are:   o  IP metrics must be actionable by the ISP -- they have to be      interpreted in terms of behaviors or properties at the IP or lower      layers that an ISP can test, repair, and verify.   o  Metrics should be spatially composable, such that measures of      concatenated paths should be predictable from subpaths.   o  Metrics must be vantage point invariant over a significant range      of measurement point choices, including off-path measurement      points.  The only requirements for Measurement Point (MP)      selection should be that the RTT between the MPs is below some      reasonable bound and that the effects of the "test leads"      connecting MPs to the subpath under test can be calibrated out of      the measurements.  The latter might be accomplished if the test      leads are effectively ideal or their properties can be deducted      from the measurements between the MPs.  While many tests require      that the test leads have at least as much IP capacity as the      subpath under test, some do not, for example, the Background      Packet Transfer Statistics Tests described inSection 8.1.3.   o  Metric measurements should be repeatable by multiple parties with      no specialized access to MPs or diagnostic infrastructure.  It      should be possible for different parties to make the same      measurement and observe the same results.  In particular, it is      important that both a consumer (or the consumer's delegate) and      ISP be able to perform the same measurement and get the same      result.  Note that vantage independence is key to meeting this      requirement.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 21]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20185.  Common Models and Parameters5.1.  Target End-to-End Parameters   The target end-to-end parameters are the Target Data Rate, Target   RTT, and Target MTU as defined inSection 3.  These parameters are   determined by the needs of the application or the ultimate end user   and the complete Internet path over which the application is expected   to operate.  The target parameters are in units that make sense to   layers above the TCP layer: payload bytes delivered to the   application.  They exclude overheads associated with TCP and IP   headers, retransmits and other protocols (e.g., DNS).  Note that   IP-based network services include TCP headers and retransmissions as   part of delivered payload; this difference (header_overhead) is   recognized in calculations below.   Other end-to-end parameters defined inSection 3 include the   effective bottleneck data rate, the sender interface data rate, and   the TCP and IP header sizes.   The target_data_rate must be smaller than all subpath IP capacities   by enough headroom to carry the transport protocol overhead,   explicitly including retransmissions and an allowance for   fluctuations in TCP's actual data rate.  Specifying a   target_data_rate with insufficient headroom is likely to result in   brittle measurements that have little predictive value.   Note that the target parameters can be specified for a hypothetical   path (for example, to construct TIDS designed for bench testing in   the absence of a real application) or for a live in situ test of   production infrastructure.   The number of concurrent connections is explicitly not a parameter in   this model.  If a subpath requires multiple connections in order to   meet the specified performance, that must be stated explicitly, and   the procedure described inSection 6.4 applies.5.2.  Common Model Calculations   The Target Transport Performance is used to derive the   target_window_size and the reference target_run_length.   The target_window_size is the average window size in packets needed   to meet the target_rate, for the specified target_RTT and target_MTU.   To calculate target_window_size:   target_window_size = ceiling(target_rate * target_RTT / (target_MTU -   header_overhead))Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 22]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   The target_run_length is an estimate of the minimum required number   of unmarked packets that must be delivered between losses or ECN CE   marks, as computed by a mathematical model of TCP congestion control.   The derivation here is parallel to the derivation in [MSMO97] and, by   design, is quite conservative.   The reference target_run_length is derived as follows.  Assume the   subpath_IP_capacity is infinitesimally larger than the   target_data_rate plus the required header_overhead.  Then,   target_window_size also predicts the onset of queuing.  A larger   window will cause a standing queue at the bottleneck.   Assume the transport protocol is using standard Reno-style Additive   Increase Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD) congestion control [RFC5681]   (but not Appropriate Byte Counting [RFC3465]) and the receiver is   using standard delayed ACKs.  Reno increases the window by one packet   every pipe size worth of ACKs.  With delayed ACKs, this takes two   RTTs per increase.  To exactly fill the pipe, the spacing of losses   must be no closer than when the peak of the AIMD sawtooth reached   exactly twice the target_window_size.  Otherwise, the multiplicative   window reduction triggered by the loss would cause the network to be   underfilled.  Per [MSMO97] the number of packets between losses must   be the area under the AIMD sawtooth.  They must be no more frequent   than every 1 in ((3/2)*target_window_size)*(2*target_window_size)   packets, which simplifies to:   target_run_length = 3*(target_window_size^2)   Note that this calculation is very conservative and is based on a   number of assumptions that may not apply.Appendix A discusses these   assumptions and provides some alternative models.  If a different   model is used, an FSTIDS must document the actual method for   computing target_run_length and the ratio between alternate   target_run_length and the reference target_run_length calculated   above, along with a discussion of the rationale for the underlying   assumptions.   Most of the individual parameters for the tests inSection 8 are   derived from target_window_size and target_run_length.5.3.  Parameter Derating   Since some aspects of the models are very conservative, the MBM   framework permits some latitude in derating test parameters.  Rather   than trying to formalize more complicated models, we permit some test   parameters to be relaxed as long as they meet some additional   procedural constraints:Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 23]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   o  The FSTIDS must document and justify the actual method used to      compute the derated metric parameters.   o  The validation procedures described inSection 10 must be used to      demonstrate the feasibility of meeting the Target Transport      Performance with infrastructure that just barely passes the      derated tests.   o  The validation process for an FSTIDS itself must be documented in      such a way that other researchers can duplicate the validation      experiments.   Except as noted, all tests below assume no derating.  Tests for which   there is not currently a well-established model for the required   parameters explicitly include derating as a way to indicate   flexibility in the parameters.5.4.  Test Preconditions   Many tests have preconditions that are required to assure their   validity.  Examples include the presence or non-presence of cross   traffic on specific subpaths; negotiating ECN; and a test stream   preamble of appropriate length to achieve stable access to network   resources in the presence of reactive network elements (as defined inSection 1.1 of [RFC7312]).  If preconditions are not properly   satisfied for some reason, the tests should be considered to be   inconclusive.  In general, it is useful to preserve diagnostic   information as to why the preconditions were not met and any test   data that was collected even if it is not useful for the intended   test.  Such diagnostic information and partial test data may be   useful for improving the test or test procedures themselves.   It is important to preserve the record that a test was scheduled;   otherwise, precondition enforcement mechanisms can introduce sampling   bias.  For example, canceling tests due to cross traffic on   subscriber access links might introduce sampling bias in tests of the   rest of the network by reducing the number of tests during peak   network load.   Test preconditions and failure actions must be specified in an   FSTIDS.6.  Generating Test Streams   Many important properties of Model-Based Metrics, such as vantage   independence, are a consequence of using test streams that have   temporal structures that mimic TCP or other transport protocols   running over a complete path.  As described inSection 4.1, self-Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 24]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   clocked protocols naturally have burst structures related to the RTT   and pipe size of the complete path.  These bursts naturally get   larger (contain more packets) as either the Target RTT or Target Data   Rate get larger or the Target MTU gets smaller.  An implication of   these relationships is that test streams generated by running self-   clocked protocols over short subpaths may not adequately exercise the   queuing at any bottleneck to determine if the subpath can support the   full Target Transport Performance over the complete path.   Failing to authentically mimic TCP's temporal structure is part of   the reason why simple performance tools such as iPerf, netperf, nc,   etc., have the reputation for yielding false pass results over short   test paths, even when a subpath has a flaw.   The definitions inSection 3 are sufficient for most test streams.   We describe the slowstart and standing queue test streams in more   detail.   In conventional measurement practice, stochastic processes are used   to eliminate many unintended correlations and sample biases.   However, MBM tests are designed to explicitly mimic temporal   correlations caused by network or protocol elements themselves.  Some   portions of these systems, such as traffic arrival (e.g., test   scheduling), are naturally stochastic.  Other behaviors, such as   back-to-back packet transmissions, are dominated by implementation-   specific deterministic effects.  Although these behaviors always   contain non-deterministic elements and might be modeled   stochastically, these details typically do not contribute   significantly to the overall system behavior.  Furthermore, it is   known that real protocols are subject to failures caused by network   property estimators suffering from bias due to correlation in their   own traffic.  For example, TCP's RTT estimator used to determine the   Retransmit Timeout (RTO), can be fooled by periodic cross traffic or   start-stop applications.  For these reasons, many details of the test   streams are specified deterministically.   It may prove useful to introduce fine-grained noise sources into the   models used for generating test streams in an update of Model-Based   Metrics, but the complexity is not warranted at the time this   document was written.6.1.  Mimicking Slowstart   TCP slowstart has a two-level burst structure as shown in Figure 2.   The fine time structure is caused by efficiency algorithms that   deliberately batch work (CPU, channel allocation, etc.) to better   amortize certain network and host overheads.  ACKs passing through   the return path typically cause the sender to transmit small burstsMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 25]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   of data at the full sender interface rate.  For example, TCP   Segmentation Offload (TSO) and Delayed Acknowledgment both contribute   to this effect.  During slowstart, these bursts are at the same   headway as the returning ACKs but are typically twice as large (e.g.,   have twice as much data) as the ACK reported was delivered to the   receiver.  Due to variations in delayed ACK and algorithms such as   Appropriate Byte Counting [RFC3465], different pairs of senders and   receivers produce slightly different burst patterns.  Without loss of   generality, we assume each ACK causes four packet sender interface   rate bursts at an average headway equal to the ACK headway; this   corresponds to sending at an average rate equal to twice the   effective bottleneck IP rate.  Each slowstart burst consists of a   series of four packet sender interface rate bursts such that the   total number of packets is the current window size (as of the last   packet in the burst).   The coarse time structure is due to each RTT being a reflection of   the prior RTT.  For real transport protocols, each slowstart burst is   twice as large (twice the window) as the previous burst but is spread   out in time by the network bottleneck, such that each successive RTT   exhibits the same effective bottleneck IP rate.  The slowstart phase   ends on the first lost packet or ECN mark, which is intended to   happen after successive slowstart bursts merge in time: the next   burst starts before the bottleneck queue is fully drained and the   prior burst is complete.   For the diagnostic tests described below, we preserve the fine time   structure but manipulate the coarse structure of the slowstart bursts   (burst size and headway) to measure the ability of the dominant   bottleneck to absorb and smooth slowstart bursts.   Note that a stream of repeated slowstart bursts has three different   average rates, depending on the averaging time interval.  At the   finest timescale (a few packet times at the sender interface), the   peak of the average IP rate is the same as the sender interface rate;   at a medium timescale (a few ACK times at the dominant bottleneck),   the peak of the average IP rate is twice the implied bottleneck IP   capacity; and at timescales longer than the target_RTT and when the   burst size is equal to the target_window_size, the average rate is   equal to the target_data_rate.  This pattern corresponds to repeating   the last RTT of TCP slowstart when delayed ACK and sender-side byte   counting are present but without the limits specified in Appropriate   Byte Counting [RFC3465].Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 26]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   time ==>    ( - equals one packet)   Fine time structure of the packet stream:   ----  ----  ----  ----  ----   |<>| sender interface rate bursts (typically 3 or 4 packets)   |<===>| burst headway (from the ACK headway)   \____repeating sender______/          rate bursts   Coarse (RTT-level) time structure of the packet stream:   ----  ----  ----  ----  ----                     ----  ---- ...   |<========================>| slowstart burst size (from the window)   |<==============================================>| slowstart headway                                                       (from the RTT)   \__________________________/                     \_________ ...       one slowstart burst                     Repeated slowstart bursts               Figure 2: Multiple Levels of Slowstart Bursts6.2.  Constant Window Pseudo CBR   Pseudo constant bit rate (CBR) is implemented by running a standard   self-clocked protocol such as TCP with a fixed window size.  If that   window size is test_window, the data rate will be slightly above the   target_rate.   Since the test_window is constrained to be an integer number of   packets, for small RTTs or low data rates, there may not be   sufficiently precise control over the data rate.  Rounding the   test_window up (as defined above) is likely to result in data rates   that are higher than the target rate, but reducing the window by one   packet may result in data rates that are too small.  Also, cross   traffic potentially raises the RTT, implicitly reducing the rate.   Cross traffic that raises the RTT nearly always makes the test more   strenuous (i.e., more demanding for the network path).   Note that Constant Window Pseudo CBR (and Scanned Window Pseudo CBR   in the next section) both rely on a self-clock that is at least   partially derived from the properties of the subnet under test.  This   introduces the possibility that the subnet under test exhibits   behaviors such as extreme RTT fluctuations that prevent these   algorithms from accurately controlling data rates.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 27]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   An FSTIDS specifying a Constant Window Pseudo CBR test must   explicitly indicate under what conditions errors in the data rate   cause tests to be inconclusive.  Conventional paced measurement   traffic may be more appropriate for these environments.6.3.  Scanned Window Pseudo CBR   Scanned Window Pseudo CBR is similar to the Constant Window Pseudo   CBR described above, except the window is scanned across a range of   sizes designed to include two key events: the onset of queuing and   the onset of packet loss or ECN CE marks.  The window is scanned by   incrementing it by one packet every 2*target_window_size delivered   packets.  This mimics the additive increase phase of standard Reno   TCP congestion avoidance when delayed ACKs are in effect.  Normally,   the window increases are separated by intervals slightly longer than   twice the target_RTT.   There are two ways to implement this test: 1) applying a window clamp   to standard congestion control in a standard protocol such as TCP and   2) stiffening a non-standard transport protocol.  When standard   congestion control is in effect, any losses or ECN CE marks cause the   transport to revert to a window smaller than the clamp, such that the   scanning clamp loses control of the window size.  The NPAD (Network   Path and Application Diagnostics) pathdiag tool is an example of this   class of algorithms [Pathdiag].   Alternatively, a non-standard congestion control algorithm can   respond to losses by transmitting extra data, such that it maintains   the specified window size independent of losses or ECN CE marks.   Such a stiffened transport explicitly violates mandatory Internet   congestion control [RFC5681] and is not suitable for in situ testing.   It is only appropriate for engineering testing under laboratory   conditions.  The Windowed Ping tool implements such a test [WPING].   This tool has been updated (see [mpingSource]).   The test procedures inSection 8.2 describe how to the partition the   scans into regions and how to interpret the results.6.4.  Concurrent or Channelized Testing   The procedures described in this document are only directly   applicable to single-stream measurement, e.g., one TCP connection or   measurement stream.  In an ideal world, we would disallow all   performance claims based on multiple concurrent streams, but this is   not practical due to at least two issues.  First, many very high-rate   link technologies are channelized and at last partially pin the flow-   to-channel mapping to minimize packet reordering within flows.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 28]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Second, TCP itself has scaling limits.  Although the former problem   might be overcome through different design decisions, the latter   problem is more deeply rooted.   All congestion control algorithms that are philosophically aligned   with [RFC5681] (e.g., claim some level of TCP compatibility,   friendliness, or fairness) have scaling limits; that is, as a long   fat network (LFN) with a fixed RTT and MTU gets faster, these   congestion control algorithms get less accurate and, as a   consequence, have difficulty filling the network [CCscaling].  These   properties are a consequence of the original Reno AIMD congestion   control design and the requirement in [RFC5681] that all transport   protocols have similar responses to congestion.   There are a number of reasons to want to specify performance in terms   of multiple concurrent flows; however, this approach is not   recommended for data rates below several megabits per second, which   can be attained with run lengths under 10000 packets on many paths.   Since the required run length is proportional to the square of the   data rate, at higher rates, the run lengths can be unreasonably   large, and multiple flows might be the only feasible approach.   If multiple flows are deemed necessary to meet aggregate performance   targets, then this must be stated both in the design of the TIDS and   in any claims about network performance.  The IP diagnostic tests   must be performed concurrently with the specified number of   connections.  For the tests that use bursty test streams, the bursts   should be synchronized across streams unless there is a priori   knowledge that the applications have some explicit mechanism to   stagger their own bursts.  In the absence of an explicit mechanism to   stagger bursts, many network and application artifacts will sometimes   implicitly synchronize bursts.  A test that does not control burst   synchronization may be prone to false pass results for some   applications.7.  Interpreting the Results7.1.  Test Outcomes   To perform an exhaustive test of a complete network path, each test   of the TIDS is applied to each subpath of the complete path.  If any   subpath fails any test, then a standard transport protocol running   over the complete path can also be expected to fail to attain the   Target Transport Performance under some conditions.   In addition to passing or failing, a test can be deemed to be   inconclusive for a number of reasons.  Proper instrumentation and   treatment of inconclusive outcomes is critical to the accuracy andMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 29]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   robustness of Model-Based Metrics.  Tests can be inconclusive if the   precomputed traffic pattern or data rates were not accurately   generated; the measurement results were not statistically   significant; the required preconditions for the test were not met; or   other causes.  SeeSection 5.4.   For example, consider a test that implements Constant Window Pseudo   CBR (Section 6.2) by adding rate controls and detailed IP packet   transfer instrumentation to TCP (e.g., using the extended performance   statistics for TCP as described in [RFC4898]).  TCP includes built-in   control systems that might interfere with the sending data rate.  If   such a test meets the required packet transfer statistics (e.g., run   length) while failing to attain the specified data rate, it must be   treated as an inconclusive result, because we cannot a priori   determine if the reduced data rate was caused by a TCP problem or a   network problem or if the reduced data rate had a material effect on   the observed packet transfer statistics.   Note that for capacity tests, if the observed packet transfer   statistics meet the statistical criteria for failing (based on   acceptance of hypothesis H1 inSection 7.2), the test can be   considered to have failed because it doesn't really matter that the   test didn't attain the required data rate.   The important new properties of MBM, such as vantage independence,   are a direct consequence of opening the control loops in the   protocols, such that the test stream does not depend on network   conditions or IP packets received.  Any mechanism that introduces   feedback between the path's measurements and the test stream   generation is at risk of introducing nonlinearities that spoil these   properties.  Any exceptional event that indicates that such feedback   has happened should cause the test to be considered inconclusive.   Inconclusive tests may be caused by situations in which a test   outcome is ambiguous because of network limitations or an unknown   limitation on the IP diagnostic test itself, which may have been   caused by some uncontrolled feedback from the network.   Note that procedures that attempt to search the target parameter   space to find the limits on a parameter such as target_data_rate are   at risk of breaking the location-independent properties of Model-   Based Metrics if any part of the boundary between passing,   inconclusive, or failing results is sensitive to RTT (which is   normally the case).  For example, the maximum data rate for a   marginal link (e.g., exhibiting excess errors) is likely to be   sensitive to the test_path_RTT.  The maximum observed data rate over   the test path has very little value for predicting the maximum rate   over a different path.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 30]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   One of the goals for evolving TIDS designs will be to keep sharpening   the distinctions between inconclusive, passing, and failing tests.   The criteria for inconclusive, passing, and failing tests must be   explicitly stated for every test in the TIDS or FSTIDS.   One of the goals for evolving the testing process, procedures, tools,   and measurement point selection should be to minimize the number of   inconclusive tests.   It may be useful to keep raw packet transfer statistics and ancillary   metrics [RFC3148] for deeper study of the behavior of the network   path and to measure the tools themselves.  Raw packet transfer   statistics can help to drive tool evolution.  Under some conditions,   it might be possible to re-evaluate the raw data for satisfying   alternate Target Transport Performance.  However, it is important to   guard against sampling bias and other implicit feedback that can   cause false results and exhibit measurement point vantage   sensitivity.  Simply applying different delivery criteria based on a   different Target Transport Performance is insufficient if the test   traffic patterns (bursts, etc.) do not match the alternate Target   Transport Performance.7.2.  Statistical Criteria for Estimating run_length   When evaluating the observed run_length, we need to determine   appropriate packet stream sizes and acceptable error levels for   efficient measurement.  In practice, can we compare the empirically   estimated packet loss and ECN CE marking ratios with the targets as   the sample size grows?  How large a sample is needed to say that the   measurements of packet transfer indicate a particular run length is   present?   The generalized measurement can be described as recursive testing:   send packets (individually or in patterns) and observe the packet   transfer performance (packet loss ratio, other metric, or any marking   we define).   As each packet is sent and measured, we have an ongoing estimate of   the performance in terms of the ratio of packet loss or ECN CE marks   to total packets (i.e., an empirical probability).  We continue to   send until conditions support a conclusion or a maximum sending limit   has been reached.   We have a target_mark_probability, one mark per target_run_length,   where a "mark" is defined as a lost packet, a packet with ECN CE   mark, or other signal.  This constitutes the null hypothesis:Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 31]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   H0:  no more than one mark in target_run_length =      3*(target_window_size)^2 packets   We can stop sending packets if ongoing measurements support accepting   H0 with the specified Type I error = alpha (= 0.05, for example).   We also have an alternative hypothesis to evaluate: is performance   significantly lower than the target_mark_probability?  Based on   analysis of typical values and practical limits on measurement   duration, we choose four times the H0 probability:   H1:  one or more marks in (target_run_length/4) packets   and we can stop sending packets if measurements support rejecting H0   with the specified Type II error = beta (= 0.05, for example), thus   preferring the alternate hypothesis H1.   H0 and H1 constitute the success and failure outcomes described   elsewhere in this document; while the ongoing measurements do not   support either hypothesis, the current status of measurements is   inconclusive.   The problem above is formulated to match the Sequential Probability   Ratio Test (SPRT) [Wald45] [Montgomery90].  Note that as originally   framed, the events under consideration were all manufacturing   defects.  In networking, ECN CE marks and lost packets are not   defects but signals, indicating that the transport protocol should   slow down.   The Sequential Probability Ratio Test also starts with a pair of   hypotheses specified as above:   H0:  p0 = one defect in target_run_length   H1:  p1 = one defect in target_run_length/4   As packets are sent and measurements collected, the tester evaluates   the cumulative defect count against two boundaries representing H0   Acceptance or Rejection (and acceptance of H1):   Acceptance line:  Xa = -h1 + s*n   Rejection line:  Xr = h2 + s*n   where n increases linearly for each packet sent andMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 32]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   h1 =  { log((1-alpha)/beta) }/k   h2 =  { log((1-beta)/alpha) }/k   k  =  log{ (p1(1-p0)) / (p0(1-p1)) }   s  =  [ log{ (1-p0)/(1-p1) } ]/k   for p0 and p1 as defined in the null and alternative hypotheses   statements above, and alpha and beta as the Type I and Type II   errors.   The SPRT specifies simple stopping rules:   o  Xa < defect_count(n) < Xr: continue testing   o  defect_count(n) <= Xa: Accept H0   o  defect_count(n) >= Xr: Accept H1   The calculations above are implemented in the R-tool for Statistical   Analysis [Rtool], in the add-on package for Cross-Validation via   Sequential Testing (CVST) [CVST].   Using the equations above, we can calculate the minimum number of   packets (n) needed to accept H0 when x defects are observed.  For   example, when x = 0:   Xa = 0  = -h1 + s*n   and  n = h1 / s   Note that the derivations in [Wald45] and [Montgomery90] differ.   Montgomery's simplified derivation of SPRT may assume a Bernoulli   processes, where the packet loss probabilities are independent and   identically distributed, making the SPRT more accessible.  Wald's   seminal paper showed that this assumption is not necessary.  It helps   to remember that the goal of SPRT is not to estimate the value of the   packet loss rate but only whether or not the packet loss ratio is   likely (1) low enough (when we accept the H0 null hypothesis),   yielding success or (2) too high (when we accept the H1 alternate   hypothesis), yielding failure.7.3.  Reordering Tolerance   All tests must be instrumented for packet-level reordering [RFC4737].   However, there is no consensus for how much reordering should be   acceptable.  Over the last two decades, the general trend has been toMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 33]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   make protocols and applications more tolerant to reordering (for   example, see [RFC5827]), in response to the gradual increase in   reordering in the network.  This increase has been due to the   deployment of technologies such as multithreaded routing lookups and   Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) routing.  These techniques increase   parallelism in the network and are critical to enabling overall   Internet growth to exceed Moore's Law.   With transport retransmission strategies, there are fundamental   trade-offs among reordering tolerance, how quickly losses can be   repaired, and overhead from spurious retransmissions.  In advance of   new retransmission strategies, we propose the following strawman:   transport protocols should be able to adapt to reordering as long as   the reordering extent is not more than the maximum of one quarter   window or 1 ms, whichever is larger.  (These values come from   experience prototyping Early Retransmit [RFC5827] and related   algorithms.  They agree with the values being proposed for "RACK: a   time-based fast loss detection algorithm" [RACK].)  Within this limit   on reorder extent, there should be no bound on reordering density.   By implication, recording that is less than these bounds should not   be treated as a network impairment.  However, [RFC4737] still   applies: reordering should be instrumented, and the maximum   reordering that can be properly characterized by the test (because of   the bound on history buffers) should be recorded with the measurement   results.   Reordering tolerance and diagnostic limitations, such as the size of   the history buffer used to diagnose packets that are way out of   order, must be specified in an FSTIDS.8.  IP Diagnostic Tests   The IP diagnostic tests below are organized according to the   technique used to generate the test stream as described inSection 6.   All of the results are evaluated in accordance withSection 7,   possibly with additional test-specific criteria.   We also introduce some combined tests that are more efficient when   networks are expected to pass but conflate diagnostic signatures when   they fail.8.1.  Basic Data Rate and Packet Transfer Tests   We propose several versions of the basic data rate and packet   transfer statistics test that differ in how the data rate is   controlled.  The data can be paced on a timer or window controlled   (and self-clocked).  The first two tests implicitly confirm thatMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 34]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   sub_path has sufficient raw capacity to carry the target_data_rate.   They are recommended for relatively infrequent testing, such as an   installation or periodic auditing process.  The third test,   Background Packet Transfer Statistics, is a low-rate test designed   for ongoing monitoring for changes in subpath quality.8.1.1.  Delivery Statistics at Paced Full Data Rate   This test confirms that the observed run length is at least the   target_run_length while relying on timer to send data at the   target_rate using the procedure described inSection 6.1 with a burst   size of 1 (single packets) or 2 (packet pairs).   The test is considered to be inconclusive if the packet transmission   cannot be accurately controlled for any reason.RFC 6673 [RFC6673] is appropriate for measuring packet transfer   statistics at full data rate.8.1.2.  Delivery Statistics at Full Data Windowed Rate   This test confirms that the observed run length is at least the   target_run_length while sending at an average rate approximately   equal to the target_data_rate, by controlling (or clamping) the   window size of a conventional transport protocol to test_window.   Since losses and ECN CE marks cause transport protocols to reduce   their data rates, this test is expected to be less precise about   controlling its data rate.  It should not be considered inconclusive   as long as at least some of the round trips reached the full   target_data_rate without incurring losses or ECN CE marks.  To pass   this test, the network must deliver target_window_size packets in   target_RTT time without any losses or ECN CE marks at least once per   two target_window_size round trips, in addition to meeting the run   length statistical test.8.1.3.  Background Packet Transfer Statistics Tests   The Background Packet Transfer Statistics Test is a low-rate version   of the target rate test above, designed for ongoing lightweight   monitoring for changes in the observed subpath run length without   disrupting users.  It should be used in conjunction with one of the   above full-rate tests because it does not confirm that the subpath   can support raw data rate.RFC 6673 [RFC6673] is appropriate for measuring background packet   transfer statistics.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 35]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20188.2.  Standing Queue Tests   These engineering tests confirm that the bottleneck is well behaved   across the onset of packet loss, which typically follows after the   onset of queuing.  Well behaved generally means lossless for   transient queues, but once the queue has been sustained for a   sufficient period of time (or reaches a sufficient queue depth),   there should be a small number of losses or ECN CE marks to signal to   the transport protocol that it should reduce its window or data rate.   Losses that are too early can prevent the transport from averaging at   the target_data_rate.  Losses that are too late indicate that the   queue might not have an appropriate AQM [RFC7567] and, as a   consequence, be subject to bufferbloat [wikiBloat].  Queues without   AQM have the potential to inflict excess delays on all flows sharing   the bottleneck.  Excess losses (more than half of the window) at the   onset of loss make loss recovery problematic for the transport   protocol.  Non-linear, erratic, or excessive RTT increases suggest   poor interactions between the channel acquisition algorithms and the   transport self-clock.  All of the tests in this section use the same   basic scanning algorithm, described here, but score the link or   subpath on the basis of how well it avoids each of these problems.   Some network technologies rely on virtual queues or other techniques   to meter traffic without adding any queuing delay, in which case the   data rate will vary with the window size all the way up to the onset   of load-induced packet loss or ECN CE marks.  For these technologies,   the discussion of queuing inSection 6.3 does not apply, but it is   still necessary to confirm that the onset of losses or ECN CE marks   be at an appropriate point and progressive.  If the network   bottleneck does not introduce significant queuing delay, modify the   procedure described inSection 6.3 to start the scan at a window   equal to or slightly smaller than the test_window.   Use the procedure inSection 6.3 to sweep the window across the onset   of queuing and the onset of loss.  The tests below all assume that   the scan emulates standard additive increase and delayed ACK by   incrementing the window by one packet for every 2*target_window_size   packets delivered.  A scan can typically be divided into three   regions: below the onset of queuing, a standing queue, and at or   beyond the onset of loss.   Below the onset of queuing, the RTT is typically fairly constant, and   the data rate varies in proportion to the window size.  Once the data   rate reaches the subpath IP rate, the data rate becomes fairly   constant, and the RTT increases in proportion to the increase in   window size.  The precise transition across the start of queuing can   be identified by the maximum network power, defined to be the ratioMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 36]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   data rate over the RTT.  The network power can be computed at each   window size, and the window with the maximum is taken as the start of   the queuing region.   If there is random background loss (e.g., bit errors), precise   determination of the onset of queue-induced packet loss may require   multiple scans.  At window sizes large enough to cause loss in   queues, all transport protocols are expected to experience periodic   losses determined by the interaction between the congestion control   and AQM algorithms.  For standard congestion control algorithms, the   periodic losses are likely to be relatively widely spaced, and the   details are typically dominated by the behavior of the transport   protocol itself.  For the case of stiffened transport protocols (with   non-standard, aggressive congestion control algorithms), the details   of periodic losses will be dominated by how the window increase   function responds to loss.8.2.1.  Congestion Avoidance   A subpath passes the congestion avoidance standing queue test if more   than target_run_length packets are delivered between the onset of   queuing (as determined by the window with the maximum network power   as described above) and the first loss or ECN CE mark.  If this test   is implemented using a standard congestion control algorithm with a   clamp, it can be performed in situ in the production internet as a   capacity test.  For an example of such a test, see [Pathdiag].   For technologies that do not have conventional queues, use the   test_window in place of the onset of queuing.  That is, a subpath   passes the congestion avoidance standing queue test if more than   target_run_length packets are delivered between the start of the scan   at test_window and the first loss or ECN CE mark.8.2.2.  Bufferbloat   This test confirms that there is some mechanism to limit buffer   occupancy (e.g., that prevents bufferbloat).  Note that this is not   strictly a requirement for single-stream bulk transport capacity;   however, if there is no mechanism to limit buffer queue occupancy,   then a single stream with sufficient data to deliver is likely to   cause the problems described in [RFC7567] and [wikiBloat].  This may   cause only minor symptoms for the dominant flow but has the potential   to make the subpath unusable for other flows and applications.   The test will pass if the onset of loss occurs before a standing   queue has introduced delay greater than twice the target_RTT or   another well-defined and specified limit.  Note that there is not yet   a model for how much standing queue is acceptable.  The factor of twoMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 37]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   chosen here reflects a rule of thumb.  In conjunction with the   previous test, this test implies that the first loss should occur at   a queuing delay that is between one and two times the target_RTT.   Specified RTT limits that are larger than twice the target_RTT must   be fully justified in the FSTIDS.8.2.3.  Non-excessive Loss   This test confirms that the onset of loss is not excessive.  The test   will pass if losses are equal to or less than the increase in the   cross traffic plus the test stream window increase since the previous   RTT.  This could be restated as non-decreasing total throughput of   the subpath at the onset of loss.  (Note that when there is a   transient drop in subpath throughput and there is not already a   standing queue, a subpath that passes other queue tests in this   document will have sufficient queue space to hold one full RTT worth   of data).   Note that token bucket policers will not pass this test, which is as   intended.  TCP often stumbles badly if more than a small fraction of   the packets are dropped in one RTT.  Many TCP implementations will   require a timeout and slowstart to recover their self-clock.  Even if   they can recover from the massive losses, the sudden change in   available capacity at the bottleneck wastes serving and front-path   capacity until TCP can adapt to the new rate [Policing].8.2.4.  Duplex Self-Interference   This engineering test confirms a bound on the interactions between   the forward data path and the ACK return path when they share a half-   duplex link.   Some historical half-duplex technologies had the property that each   direction held the channel until it completely drained its queue.   When a self-clocked transport protocol, such as TCP, has data and   ACKs passing in opposite directions through such a link, the behavior   often reverts to stop-and-wait.  Each additional packet added to the   window raises the observed RTT by two packet times, once as the   additional packet passes through the data path and once for the   additional delay incurred by the ACK waiting on the return path.   The Duplex Self-Interference Test fails if the RTT rises by more than   a fixed bound above the expected queuing time computed from the   excess window divided by the subpath IP capacity.  This bound must be   smaller than target_RTT/2 to avoid reverting to stop-and-wait   behavior (e.g., data packets and ACKs both have to be released at   least twice per RTT).Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 38]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20188.3.  Slowstart Tests   These tests mimic slowstart: data is sent at twice the effective   bottleneck rate to exercise the queue at the dominant bottleneck.8.3.1.  Full Window Slowstart Test   This capacity test confirms that slowstart is not likely to exit   prematurely.  To perform this test, send slowstart bursts that are   target_window_size total packets and accumulate packet transfer   statistics as described inSection 7.2 to score the outcome.  The   test will pass if it is statistically significant that the observed   number of good packets delivered between losses or ECN CE marks is   larger than the target_run_length.  The test will fail if it is   statistically significant that the observed interval between losses   or ECN CE marks is smaller than the target_run_length.   The test is deemed inconclusive if the elapsed time to send the data   burst is not less than half of the time to receive the ACKs.  (That   is, it is acceptable to send data too fast, but sending it slower   than twice the actual bottleneck rate as indicated by the ACKs is   deemed inconclusive).  The headway for the slowstart bursts should be   the target_RTT.   Note that these are the same parameters that are used for the   Sustained Full-Rate Bursts Test, except the burst rate is at   slowstart rate rather than sender interface rate.8.3.2.  Slowstart AQM Test   To perform this test, do a continuous slowstart (send data   continuously at twice the implied IP bottleneck capacity) until the   first loss; stop and allow the network to drain and repeat; gather   statistics on how many packets were delivered before the loss, the   pattern of losses, maximum observed RTT, and window size; and justify   the results.  There is not currently sufficient theory to justify   requiring any particular result; however, design decisions that   affect the outcome of this tests also affect how the network balances   between long and short flows (the "mice vs. elephants" problem).  The   queue sojourn time for the first packet delivered after the first   loss should be at least one half of the target_RTT.   This engineering test should be performed on a quiescent network or   testbed, since cross traffic has the potential to change the results   in ill-defined ways.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 39]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20188.4.  Sender Rate Burst Tests   These tests determine how well the network can deliver bursts sent at   the sender's interface rate.  Note that this test most heavily   exercises the front path and is likely to include infrastructure that   may be out of scope for an access ISP, even though the bursts might   be caused by ACK compression, thinning, or channel arbitration in the   access ISP.  SeeAppendix B.   Also, there are a several details about sender interface rate bursts   that are not fully defined here.  These details, such as the assumed   sender interface rate, should be explicitly stated in an FSTIDS.   Current standards permit TCP to send full window bursts following an   application pause.  (Congestion Window Validation [RFC2861] and   updates to support Rate-Limited Traffic [RFC7661] are not required).   Since full window bursts are consistent with standard behavior, it is   desirable that the network be able to deliver such bursts; otherwise,   application pauses will cause unwarranted losses.  Note that the AIMD   sawtooth requires a peak window that is twice target_window_size, so   the worst-case burst may be 2*target_window_size.   It is also understood in the application and serving community that   interface rate bursts have a cost to the network that has to be   balanced against other costs in the servers themselves.  For example,   TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) reduces server CPU in exchange for   larger network bursts, which increase the stress on network buffer   memory.  Some newer TCP implementations can pace traffic at scale   [TSO_pacing] [TSO_fq_pacing].  It remains to be determined if and how   quickly these changes will be deployed.   There is not yet theory to unify these costs or to provide a   framework for trying to optimize global efficiency.  We do not yet   have a model for how many server rate bursts should be tolerated by   the network.  Some bursts must be tolerated by the network, but it is   probably unreasonable to expect the network to be able to efficiently   deliver all data as a series of bursts.   For this reason, this is the only test for which we encourage   derating.  A TIDS could include a table containing pairs of derating   parameters: burst sizes and how much each burst size is permitted to   reduce the run length, relative to the target_run_length.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 40]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 20188.5.  Combined and Implicit Tests   Combined tests efficiently confirm multiple network properties in a   single test, possibly as a side effect of normal content delivery.   They require less measurement traffic than other testing strategies   at the cost of conflating diagnostic signatures when they fail.   These are by far the most efficient for monitoring networks that are   nominally expected to pass all tests.8.5.1.  Sustained Full-Rate Bursts Test   The Sustained Full-Rate Bursts Test implements a combined worst-case   version of all of the capacity tests above.  To perform this test,   send target_window_size bursts of packets at server interface rate   with target_RTT burst headway (burst start to next burst start), and   verify that the observed packet transfer statistics meets the   target_run_length.   Key observations:   o  The subpath under test is expected to go idle for some fraction of      the time, determined by the difference between the time to drain      the queue at the subpath_IP_capacity and the target_RTT.  If the      queue does not drain completely, it may be an indication that the      subpath has insufficient IP capacity or that there is some other      problem with the test (e.g., it is inconclusive).   o  The burst sensitivity can be derated by sending smaller bursts      more frequently (e.g., by sending target_window_size*derate packet      bursts every target_RTT*derate, where "derate" is less than one).   o  When not derated, this test is the most strenuous capacity test.   o  A subpath that passes this test is likely to be able to sustain      higher rates (close to subpath_IP_capacity) for paths with RTTs      significantly smaller than the target_RTT.   o  This test can be implemented with instrumented TCP [RFC4898],      using a specialized measurement application at one end (e.g.,      [MBMSource]) and a minimal service at the other end (e.g.,      [RFC863] and [RFC864]).   o  This test is efficient to implement, since it does not require      per-packet timers, and can make use of TSO in modern network      interfaces.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 41]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   o  If a subpath is known to pass the standing queue engineering tests      (particularly that it has a progressive onset of loss at an      appropriate queue depth), then the Sustained Full-Rate Bursts Test      is sufficient to assure that the subpath under test will not      impair Bulk Transport Capacity at the target performance under all      conditions.  SeeSection 8.2 for a discussion of the standing      queue tests.   Note that this test is clearly independent of the subpath RTT or   other details of the measurement infrastructure, as long as the   measurement infrastructure can accurately and reliably deliver the   required bursts to the subpath under test.8.5.2.  Passive Measurements   Any non-throughput-maximizing application, such as fixed-rate   streaming media, can be used to implement passive or hybrid (defined   in [RFC7799]) versions of Model-Based Metrics with some additional   instrumentation and possibly a traffic shaper or other controls in   the servers.  The essential requirement is that the data transmission   be constrained such that even with arbitrary application pauses and   bursts, the data rate and burst sizes stay within the envelope   defined by the individual tests described above.   If the application's serving data rate can be constrained to be less   than or equal to the target_data_rate and the serving_RTT (the RTT   between the sender and client) is less than the target_RTT, this   constraint is most easily implemented by clamping the transport   window size to serving_window_clamp (which is set to the test_window   and computed for the actual serving path).   Under the above constraints, the serving_window_clamp will limit both   the serving data rate and burst sizes to be no larger than the   parameters specified by the procedures inSection 8.1.2, 8.4, or   8.5.1.  Since the serving RTT is smaller than the target_RTT, the   worst-case bursts that might be generated under these conditions will   be smaller than called for bySection 8.4, and the sender rate burst   sizes are implicitly derated by the serving_window_clamp divided by   the target_window_size at the very least.  (Depending on the   application behavior, the data might be significantly smoother than   specified by any of the burst tests.)   In an alternative implementation, the data rate and bursts might be   explicitly controlled by a programmable traffic shaper or by pacing   at the sender.  This would provide better control over transmissions   but is more complicated to implement, although the required   technology is available [TSO_pacing] [TSO_fq_pacing].Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 42]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Note that these techniques can be applied to any content delivery   that can be operated at a constrained data rate to inhibit TCP   equilibrium behavior.   Furthermore, note that Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) is   generally in conflict with passive Model-Based Metrics measurement,   because it is a rate-maximizing protocol.  It can still meet the   requirement here if the rate can be capped, for example, by knowing a   priori the maximum rate needed to deliver a particular piece of   content.9.  Example   In this section, we illustrate a TIDS designed to confirm that an   access ISP can reliably deliver HD video from multiple content   providers to all of its customers.  With modern codecs, minimal HD   video (720p) generally fits in 2.5 Mb/s.  Due to the ISP's   geographical size, network topology, and modem characteristics, the   ISP determines that most content is within a 50 ms RTT of its users.   (This example RTT is sufficient to cover the propagation delay to   continental Europe or to either coast of the United States with low-   delay modems; it is sufficient to cover somewhat smaller geographical   regions if the modems require additional delay to implement advanced   compression and error recovery.)                +----------------------+-------+---------+                | End-to-End Parameter | value | units   |                +----------------------+-------+---------+                | target_rate          | 2.5   | Mb/s    |                | target_RTT           | 50    | ms      |                | target_MTU           | 1500  | bytes   |                | header_overhead      | 64    | bytes   |                |                      |       |         |                | target_window_size   | 11    | packets |                | target_run_length    | 363   | packets |                +----------------------+-------+---------+                    Table 1: 2.5 Mb/s over a 50 ms Path   Table 1 shows the default TCP model with no derating and, as such, is   quite conservative.  The simplest TIDS would be to use the Sustained   Full-Rate Bursts Test, described inSection 8.5.1.  Such a test would   send 11 packet bursts every 50 ms and confirm that there was no more   than 1 packet loss per 33 bursts (363 total packets in 1.650   seconds).Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 43]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   Since this number represents the entire end-to-end loss budget,   independent subpath tests could be implemented by apportioning the   packet loss ratio across subpaths.  For example, 50% of the losses   might be allocated to the access or last mile link to the user, 40%   to the network interconnections with other ISPs, and 1% to each   internal hop (assuming no more than 10 internal hops).  Then, all of   the subpaths can be tested independently, and the spatial composition   of passing subpaths would be expected to be within the end-to-end   loss budget.9.1.  Observations about Applicability   Guidance on deploying and using MBM belong in a future document.   However, the example above illustrates some of the issues that may   need to be considered.   Note that another ISP, with different geographical coverage,   topology, or modem technology may need to assume a different   target_RTT and, as a consequence, a different target_window_size and   target_run_length, even for the same target_data rate.  One of the   implications of this is that infrastructure shared by multiple ISPs,   such as Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and other interconnects may   need to be evaluated on the basis of the most stringent   target_window_size and target_run_length of any participating ISP.   One way to do this might be to choose target parameters for   evaluating such shared infrastructure on the basis of a hypothetical   reference path that does not necessarily match any actual paths.   Testing interconnects has generally been problematic: conventional   performance tests run between measurement points adjacent to either   side of the interconnect are not generally useful.  Unconstrained TCP   tests, such as iPerf [iPerf], are usually overly aggressive due to   the small RTT (often less than 1 ms).  With a short RTT, these tools   are likely to report inflated data rates because on a short RTT,   these tools can tolerate very high packet loss ratios and can push   other cross traffic off of the network.  As a consequence, these   measurements are useless for predicting actual user performance over   longer paths and may themselves be quite disruptive.  Model-Based   Metrics solves this problem.  The interconnect can be evaluated with   the same TIDS as other subpaths.  Continuing our example, if the   interconnect is apportioned 40% of the losses, 11 packet bursts sent   every 50 ms should have fewer than one loss per 82 bursts (902   packets).Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 44]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 201810.  Validation   Since some aspects of the models are likely to be too conservative,Section 5.2 permits alternate protocol models, andSection 5.3   permits test parameter derating.  If either of these techniques is   used, we require demonstrations that such a TIDS can robustly detect   subpaths that will prevent authentic applications using state-of-the-   art protocol implementations from meeting the specified Target   Transport Performance.  This correctness criteria is potentially   difficult to prove, because it implicitly requires validating a TIDS   against all possible paths and subpaths.  The procedures described   here are still experimental.   We suggest two approaches, both of which should be applied.  First,   publish a fully open description of the TIDS, including what   assumptions were used and how it was derived, such that the research   community can evaluate the design decisions, test them, and comment   on their applicability.  Second, demonstrate that applications do   meet the Target Transport Performance when running over a network   testbed that has the tightest possible constraints that still allow   the tests in the TIDS to pass.   This procedure resembles an epsilon-delta proof in calculus.   Construct a test network such that all of the individual tests of the   TIDS pass by only small (infinitesimal) margins, and demonstrate that   a variety of authentic applications running over real TCP   implementations (or other protocols as appropriate) meets the Target   Transport Performance over such a network.  The workloads should   include multiple types of streaming media and transaction-oriented   short flows (e.g., synthetic web traffic).   For example, for the HD streaming video TIDS described inSection 9,   the IP capacity should be exactly the header_overhead above 2.5 Mb/s,   the per packet random background loss ratio should be 1/363 (for a   run length of 363 packets), the bottleneck queue should be 11   packets, and the front path should have just enough buffering to   withstand 11 packet interface rate bursts.  We want every one of the   TIDS tests to fail if we slightly increase the relevant test   parameter, so, for example, sending a 12-packet burst should cause   excess (possibly deterministic) packet drops at the dominant queue at   the bottleneck.  This network has the tightest possible constraints   that can be expected to pass the TIDS, yet it should be possible for   a real application using a stock TCP implementation in the vendor's   default configuration to attain 2.5 Mb/s over a 50 ms path.   The most difficult part of setting up such a testbed is arranging for   it to have the tightest possible constraints that still allow it to   pass the individual tests.  Two approaches are suggested:Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 45]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   o  constraining (configuring) the network devices not to use all      available resources (e.g., by limiting available buffer space or      data rate)   o  pre-loading subpaths with cross traffic   Note that it is important that a single tightly constrained   environment just barely passes all tests; otherwise, there is a   chance that TCP can exploit extra latitude in some parameters (such   as data rate) to partially compensate for constraints in other   parameters (e.g., queue space).  This effect is potentially   bidirectional: extra latitude in the queue space tests has the   potential to enable TCP to compensate for insufficient data-rate   headroom.   To the extent that a TIDS is used to inform public dialog, it should   be fully documented publicly, including the details of the tests,   what assumptions were used, and how it was derived.  All of the   details of the validation experiment should also be published with   sufficient detail for the experiments to be replicated by other   researchers.  All components should be either open source or fully   described proprietary implementations that are available to the   research community.11.  Security Considerations   Measurement is often used to inform business and policy decisions   and, as a consequence, is potentially subject to manipulation.   Model-Based Metrics are expected to be a huge step forward because   equivalent measurements can be performed from multiple vantage   points, such that performance claims can be independently validated   by multiple parties.   Much of the acrimony in the Net Neutrality debate is due to the   historical lack of any effective vantage-independent tools to   characterize network performance.  Traditional methods for measuring   Bulk Transport Capacity are sensitive to RTT and as a consequence   often yield very different results when run local to an ISP or   interconnect and when run over a customer's complete path.  Neither   the ISP nor customer can repeat the other's measurements, leading to   high levels of distrust and acrimony.  Model-Based Metrics are   expected to greatly improve this situation.   Note that in situ measurements sometimes require sending synthetic   measurement traffic between arbitrary locations in the network and,   as such, are potentially attractive platforms for launching DDoSMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 46]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   attacks.  All active measurement tools and protocols must be designed   to minimize the opportunities for these misuses.  See the discussion   inSection 7 of [RFC7594].   Some of the tests described in this document are not intended for   frequent network monitoring since they have the potential to cause   high network loads and might adversely affect other traffic.   This document only describes a framework for designing a Fully   Specified Targeted IP Diagnostic Suite.  Each FSTIDS must include its   own security section.12.  IANA Considerations   This document has no IANA actions.13.  Informative References   [RFC863]   Postel, J., "Discard Protocol", STD 21,RFC 863,              DOI 10.17487/RFC0863, May 1983,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc863>.   [RFC864]   Postel, J., "Character Generator Protocol", STD 22,RFC 864, DOI 10.17487/RFC0864, May 1983,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc864>.   [RFC2330]  Paxson, V., Almes, G., Mahdavi, J., and M. Mathis,              "Framework for IP Performance Metrics",RFC 2330,              DOI 10.17487/RFC2330, May 1998,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2330>.   [RFC2861]  Handley, M., Padhye, J., and S. Floyd, "TCP Congestion              Window Validation",RFC 2861, DOI 10.17487/RFC2861, June              2000, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2861>.   [RFC3148]  Mathis, M. and M. Allman, "A Framework for Defining              Empirical Bulk Transfer Capacity Metrics",RFC 3148,              DOI 10.17487/RFC3148, July 2001,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3148>.   [RFC3168]  Ramakrishnan, K., Floyd, S., and D. Black, "The Addition              of Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) to IP",RFC 3168, DOI 10.17487/RFC3168, September 2001,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3168>.   [RFC3465]  Allman, M., "TCP Congestion Control with Appropriate Byte              Counting (ABC)",RFC 3465, DOI 10.17487/RFC3465, February              2003, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3465>.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 47]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   [RFC4737]  Morton, A., Ciavattone, L., Ramachandran, G., Shalunov,              S., and J. Perser, "Packet Reordering Metrics",RFC 4737,              DOI 10.17487/RFC4737, November 2006,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4737>.   [RFC4898]  Mathis, M., Heffner, J., and R. Raghunarayan, "TCP              Extended Statistics MIB",RFC 4898, DOI 10.17487/RFC4898,              May 2007, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4898>.   [RFC5136]  Chimento, P. and J. Ishac, "Defining Network Capacity",RFC 5136, DOI 10.17487/RFC5136, February 2008,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5136>.   [RFC5681]  Allman, M., Paxson, V., and E. Blanton, "TCP Congestion              Control",RFC 5681, DOI 10.17487/RFC5681, September 2009,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5681>.   [RFC5827]  Allman, M., Avrachenkov, K., Ayesta, U., Blanton, J., and              P. Hurtig, "Early Retransmit for TCP and Stream Control              Transmission Protocol (SCTP)",RFC 5827,              DOI 10.17487/RFC5827, May 2010,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5827>.   [RFC5835]  Morton, A., Ed. and S. Van den Berghe, Ed., "Framework for              Metric Composition",RFC 5835, DOI 10.17487/RFC5835, April              2010, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5835>.   [RFC6049]  Morton, A. and E. Stephan, "Spatial Composition of              Metrics",RFC 6049, DOI 10.17487/RFC6049, January 2011,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6049>.   [RFC6576]  Geib, R., Ed., Morton, A., Fardid, R., and A. Steinmitz,              "IP Performance Metrics (IPPM) Standard Advancement              Testing",BCP 176,RFC 6576, DOI 10.17487/RFC6576, March              2012, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6576>.   [RFC6673]  Morton, A., "Round-Trip Packet Loss Metrics",RFC 6673,              DOI 10.17487/RFC6673, August 2012,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6673>.   [RFC6928]  Chu, J., Dukkipati, N., Cheng, Y., and M. Mathis,              "Increasing TCP's Initial Window",RFC 6928,              DOI 10.17487/RFC6928, April 2013,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6928>.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 48]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   [RFC7312]  Fabini, J. and A. Morton, "Advanced Stream and Sampling              Framework for IP Performance Metrics (IPPM)",RFC 7312,              DOI 10.17487/RFC7312, August 2014,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7312>.   [RFC7398]  Bagnulo, M., Burbridge, T., Crawford, S., Eardley, P., and              A. Morton, "A Reference Path and Measurement Points for              Large-Scale Measurement of Broadband Performance",RFC 7398, DOI 10.17487/RFC7398, February 2015,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7398>.   [RFC7567]  Baker, F., Ed. and G. Fairhurst, Ed., "IETF              Recommendations Regarding Active Queue Management",BCP 197,RFC 7567, DOI 10.17487/RFC7567, July 2015,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7567>.   [RFC7594]  Eardley, P., Morton, A., Bagnulo, M., Burbridge, T.,              Aitken, P., and A. Akhter, "A Framework for Large-Scale              Measurement of Broadband Performance (LMAP)",RFC 7594,              DOI 10.17487/RFC7594, September 2015,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7594>.   [RFC7661]  Fairhurst, G., Sathiaseelan, A., and R. Secchi, "Updating              TCP to Support Rate-Limited Traffic",RFC 7661,              DOI 10.17487/RFC7661, October 2015,              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7661>.   [RFC7680]  Almes, G., Kalidindi, S., Zekauskas, M., and A. Morton,              Ed., "A One-Way Loss Metric for IP Performance Metrics              (IPPM)", STD 82,RFC 7680, DOI 10.17487/RFC7680, January              2016, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7680>.   [RFC7799]  Morton, A., "Active and Passive Metrics and Methods (with              Hybrid Types In-Between)",RFC 7799, DOI 10.17487/RFC7799,              May 2016, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7799>.   [AFD]      Pan, R., Breslau, L., Prabhakar, B., and S. Shenker,              "Approximate fairness through differential dropping", ACM              SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, Volume 33, Issue 2,              DOI 10.1145/956981.956985, April 2003.   [CCscaling]              Paganini, F., Doyle, J., and S. Low, "Scalable laws for              stable network congestion control", Proceedings of IEEE              Conference on Decision and Control,,              DOI 10.1109/CDC.2001.980095, December 2001.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 49]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   [CVST]     Krueger, T. and M. Braun, "R package: Fast Cross-              Validation via Sequential Testing", version 0.1, 11 2012.   [iPerf]    Wikipedia, "iPerf", November 2017,              <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iperf&oldid=810583885>.   [MBMSource]              "mbm", July 2016, <https://github.com/m-lab/MBM>.   [Montgomery90]              Montgomery, D., "Introduction to Statistical Quality              Control", 2nd Edition, ISBN 0-471-51988-X, 1990.   [mpingSource]              "mping", July 2016, <https://github.com/m-lab/mping>.   [MSMO97]   Mathis, M., Semke, J., Mahdavi, J., and T. Ott, "The              Macroscopic Behavior of the TCP Congestion Avoidance              Algorithm", Computer Communications Review, Volume 27,              Issue 3, DOI 10.1145/263932.264023, July 1997.   [Pathdiag] Mathis, M., Heffner, J., O'Neil, P., and P. Siemsen,              "Pathdiag: Automated TCP Diagnosis", Passive and Active              Network Measurement, Lecture Notes in Computer Science,              Volume 4979, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-79232-1_16, 2008.   [Policing] Flach, T., Papageorge, P., Terzis, A., Pedrosa, L., Cheng,              Y., Karim, T., Katz-Bassett, E., and R. Govindan, "An              Internet-Wide Analysis of Traffic Policing", Proceedings              of ACM SIGCOMM, DOI 10.1145/2934872.2934873, August 2016.   [RACK]     Cheng, Y., Cardwell, N., Dukkipati, N., and P. Jha, "RACK:              a time-based fast loss detection algorithm for TCP", Work              in Progress,draft-ietf-tcpm-rack-03, March 2018.   [Rtool]    R Development Core Team, "R: A language and environment              for statistical computing", R Foundation for Statistical              Computing, Vienna, Austria, ISBN 3-900051-07-0, 2011,              <http://www.R-project.org/>.   [TSO_fq_pacing]              Dumazet, E. and Y. Chen, "TSO, fair queuing, pacing:              three's a charm", Proceedings of IETF 88, TCPM WG,              November 2013,              <https://www.ietf.org/proceedings/88/slides/slides-88-tcpm-9.pdf>.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 50]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   [TSO_pacing]              Corbet, J., "TSO sizing and the FQ scheduler", August              2013, <https://lwn.net/Articles/564978/>.   [Wald45]   Wald, A., "Sequential Tests of Statistical Hypotheses",              The Annals of Mathematical Statistics, Volume 16, Number              2, pp. 117-186, June 1945,              <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2235829>.   [wikiBloat]              Wikipedia, "Bufferbloat", January 2018,              <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bufferbloat&oldid=819293377>.   [WPING]    Mathis, M., "Windowed Ping: An IP Level Performance              Diagnostic", Computer Networks and ISDN Systems, Volume              27, Issue 3, DOI 10.1016/0169-7552(94)90119-8, June 1994.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 51]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018Appendix A.  Model Derivations   The reference target_run_length described inSection 5.2 is based on   very conservative assumptions: that all excess data in flight (i.e.,   the window size) above the target_window_size contributes to a   standing queue that raises the RTT and that classic Reno congestion   control with delayed ACKs is in effect.  In this section we provide   two alternative calculations using different assumptions.   It may seem out of place to allow such latitude in a measurement   method, but this section provides offsetting requirements.   The estimates provided by these models make the most sense if network   performance is viewed logarithmically.  In the operational Internet,   data rates span more than eight orders of magnitude, RTT spans more   than three orders of magnitude, and packet loss ratio spans at least   eight orders of magnitude if not more.  When viewed logarithmically   (as in decibels), these correspond to 80 dB of dynamic range.  On an   80 dB scale, a 3 dB error is less than 4% of the scale, even though   it represents a factor of 2 in untransformed parameter.   This document gives a lot of latitude for calculating   target_run_length; however, people designing a TIDS should consider   the effect of their choices on the ongoing tussle about the relevance   of "TCP friendliness" as an appropriate model for Internet capacity   allocation.  Choosing a target_run_length that is substantially   smaller than the reference target_run_length specified inSection 5.2   strengthens the argument that it may be appropriate to abandon "TCP   friendliness" as the Internet fairness model.  This gives developers   incentive and permission to develop even more aggressive applications   and protocols, for example, by increasing the number of connections   that they open concurrently.A.1.  Queueless Reno   InSection 5.2, models were derived based on the assumption that the   subpath IP rate matches the target rate plus overhead, such that the   excess window needed for the AIMD sawtooth causes a fluctuating queue   at the bottleneck.   An alternate situation would be a bottleneck where there is no   significant queue and losses are caused by some mechanism that does   not involve extra delay, for example, by the use of a virtual queue   as done in Approximate Fair Dropping [AFD].  A flow controlled by   such a bottleneck would have a constant RTT and a data rate that   fluctuates in a sawtooth due to AIMD congestion control.  Assume theMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 52]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   losses are being controlled to make the average data rate meet some   goal that is equal to or greater than the target_rate.  The necessary   run length to meet the target_rate can be computed as follows:   For some value of Wmin, the window will sweep from Wmin packets to   2*Wmin packets in 2*Wmin RTT (due to delayed ACK).  Unlike the   queuing case where Wmin = target_window_size, we want the average of   Wmin and 2*Wmin to be the target_window_size, so the average data   rate is the target rate.  Thus, we want Wmin =   (2/3)*target_window_size.   Between losses, each sawtooth delivers (1/2)(Wmin+2*Wmin)(2Wmin)   packets in 2*Wmin RTTs.   Substituting these together, we get:   target_run_length = (4/3)(target_window_size^2)   Note that this is 44% of the reference_run_length computed earlier.   This makes sense because under the assumptions inSection 5.2, the   AMID sawtooth caused a queue at the bottleneck, which raised the   effective RTT by 50%.Appendix B.  The Effects of ACK Scheduling   For many network technologies, simple queuing models don't apply: the   network schedules, thins, or otherwise alters the timing of ACKs and   data, generally to raise the efficiency of the channel allocation   algorithms when confronted with relatively widely spaced small ACKs.   These efficiency strategies are ubiquitous for half-duplex, wireless,   and broadcast media.   Altering the ACK stream by holding or thinning ACKs typically has two   consequences: it raises the implied bottleneck IP capacity, making   the fine-grained slowstart bursts either faster or larger, and it   raises the effective RTT by the average time that the ACKs and data   are delayed.  The first effect can be partially mitigated by   re-clocking ACKs once they are beyond the bottleneck on the return   path to the sender; however, this further raises the effective RTT.   The most extreme example of this sort of behavior would be a half-   duplex channel that is not released as long as the endpoint currently   holding the channel has more traffic (data or ACKs) to send.  Such   environments cause self-clocked protocols under full load to revert   to extremely inefficient stop-and-wait behavior.  The channel   constrains the protocol to send an entire window of data as a singleMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 53]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018   contiguous burst on the forward path, followed by the entire window   of ACKs on the return path.  (A channel with this behavior would fail   the Duplex Self-Interference Test described inSection 8.2.4).   If a particular return path contains a subpath or device that alters   the timing of the ACK stream, then the entire front path from the   sender up to the bottleneck must be tested at the burst parameters   implied by the ACK scheduling algorithm.  The most important   parameter is the implied bottleneck IP capacity, which is the average   rate at which the ACKs advance snd.una.  Note that thinning the ACK   stream (relying on the cumulative nature of seg.ack to permit   discarding some ACKs) causes most TCP implementations to send   interface rate bursts to offset the longer times between ACKs in   order to maintain the average data rate.   Note that due to ubiquitous self-clocking in Internet protocols,   ill-conceived channel allocation mechanisms are likely to increases   the queuing stress on the front path because they cause larger full   sender rate data bursts.   Holding data or ACKs for channel allocation or other reasons (such as   forward error correction) always raises the effective RTT relative to   the minimum delay for the path.  Therefore, it may be necessary to   replace target_RTT in the calculation inSection 5.2 by an   effective_RTT, which includes the target_RTT plus a term to account   for the extra delays introduced by these mechanisms.Mathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 54]

RFC 8337                   Model-Based Metrics                March 2018Acknowledgments   Ganga Maguluri suggested the statistical test for measuring loss   probability in the target run length.  Alex Gilgur and Merry Mou   helped with the statistics.   Meredith Whittaker improved the clarity of the communications.   Ruediger Geib provided feedback that greatly improved the document.   This work was inspired by Measurement Lab: open tools running on an   open platform, using open tools to collect open data.  See   <http://www.measurementlab.net/>.Authors' Addresses   Matt Mathis   Google, Inc   1600 Amphitheatre Parkway   Mountain View, CA  94043   United States of America   Email: mattmathis@google.com   Al Morton   AT&T Labs   200 Laurel Avenue South   Middletown, NJ  07748   United States of America   Phone: +1 732 420 1571   Email: acmorton@att.comMathis & Morton               Experimental                     [Page 55]

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