Netbench – large-scale network device testing with real-life traffic patterns

Network performance is key to the correct operation of any modern data centre infrastructure or data acquisition (DAQ) system. Hence, it is crucial to ensure the devices employed in the network are carefully selected to meet the required needs. Specialized commercial testers implement standardized tests [1, 2], which benchmark the performance of network devices under reproducible, yet artificial conditions. Netbench is a network-testing framework, relying on commodity servers and NICs, that enables the evaluation of network devices performance for handling traffic-patterns that closely resemble real-life usage, at a reasonably affordable price. We will present the architecture of the Netbench framework, its capabilities and how they complement the use of specialized commercial testers (e.g. competing TCP flows that create temporary congestion provide a good benchmark of buffering capabilities in real-life scenarios). Last but not least, we will describe how CERN used Netbench for performing large scale tests with partial-mesh and full-mesh TCP flows [3], an essential validation point during its most recent high-end routers call for tender.