[dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment

[dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment

[Victor Kaplansky]

This RFC patch propose enhancements to testpmd to simulate
more realistic behavior of a guest machine engaged in receiving
and sending packets performing Virtual Network Function (VNF).

The goal is to enable simple of measuring performance impact on cache and
memory footprint utilization from various VNF co-located on the
same host machine.

This series of patches adds the new command line switches to
testpmd:

--buffersize-before-sending [packet numbers]

    Keep the mbuf in a FIFO and forward the over flooding packets from the
    FIFO. This queue is per TX-queue (after all other packet processing).

--flush-timer [delay]
    Flush the packet queue if no packets have been seen during
    [delay]. As long as packets are seen, the timer is reset. 


Options to simulate route lookups:

--memory-footprint [size]
    Size of the VNF internal memory (MB), in which the random
    read/write will be done, allocated by rte_malloc (hugepages).

--random-w-memory-access-per-packet [num]
    Number of random writes in memory per packet should be
    performed, simulating hit-flags update. 64 bits per write,
    all write in different cache lines.

--random-r-memory-access-per-packet [num]
    Number of random reads in memory per packet should be
    performed, simulating FIB/table lookups.  64 bits per read,
    all write in different cache lines.

--random-rw-memory-access-per-packet [num]
    Number of random reads and writes in memory per packet should
    be performed, simulating stats update. 64 bits per read-write, all
    reads and writes in different cache lines.


Options to simulate packet processing (encap/decap)

--read-packet-buf [0-100]
    Determine the percentage of cache lines of a packet mbuf that
    testpmd should read for every packet.

--write-packet-buf [0-100]
    Determines the percentage of cache lines in the packet mbuf
    testpmd should write to.



Comments are welcomed. If name of command line switches seems
reasonable, I'll send rest of the patches with the implementation
in few days.

Regards,
-- 
Victor

Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment

[Bruce Richardson]

On Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 02:41:05AM -0400, Victor Kaplansky wrote:
> 
> This RFC patch propose enhancements to testpmd to simulate
> more realistic behavior of a guest machine engaged in receiving
> and sending packets performing Virtual Network Function (VNF).
> 
> The goal is to enable simple of measuring performance impact on cache and
> memory footprint utilization from various VNF co-located on the
> same host machine.
> 
> This series of patches adds the new command line switches to
> testpmd:
> 
Hi,

while I think this functionality is of use, I don't think it should go
into testpmd. Testpmd is designed for testing NIC PMDs, and not as a
general test tool, and is already complicated enough with lots of
commandline options. For the task of testing VNF use-cases, I think a
new separate app or example would be better.

My 2c.

/Bruce

Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment

[Thomas Monjalon]

31/10/2017 11:13, Bruce Richardson:
> On Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 02:41:05AM -0400, Victor Kaplansky wrote:
> > 
> > This RFC patch propose enhancements to testpmd to simulate
> > more realistic behavior of a guest machine engaged in receiving
> > and sending packets performing Virtual Network Function (VNF).
> > 
> > The goal is to enable simple of measuring performance impact on cache and
> > memory footprint utilization from various VNF co-located on the
> > same host machine.
> > 
> > This series of patches adds the new command line switches to
> > testpmd:
> > 
> Hi,
> 
> while I think this functionality is of use, I don't think it should go
> into testpmd. Testpmd is designed for testing NIC PMDs, and not as a
> general test tool, and is already complicated enough with lots of
> commandline options. For the task of testing VNF use-cases, I think a
> new separate app or example would be better.

Not sure.
If we need to mix the VNF simulation options with the NIC features
options (implemented in testpmd), then testpmd would be a good fit.

Please Victor, give your arguments to make the discussion progressing.

Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment

[Victor Kaplansky]

Hi,

o   testpmd is already the primary tool used by both DPDK developers, testers
    and for performance evaluations. Performances reports are available on
    dpdk.org for each DPDK releases, on various NICs, so it is a common
    baseline.


o   testpmd is being used not only for NIC testing, but as a switch replacement
    on the host, by OPNFV VSPerf and FD.io CSIT

o   A single tool to cover all testing scenarios makes a lot of sense. It 
    will make testpmd even more popular on communities using DPDK and surely
    promote DPDK.

I fully understand the desire to keep testpmd as simple as possible, and we can
address this by making the additional functionality as modular as possible in
the source code. Or, if you prefer, we can create another tool even more basic
then current testpmd just as an example for educational purposes.

What do you say?


----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas Monjalon" <thomas@monjalon.net>
> To: "Bruce Richardson" <bruce.richardson@intel.com>, "Victor Kaplansky" <vkaplans@redhat.com>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org, "jingjing wu" <jingjing.wu@intel.com>, "Amnon Ilan" <ailan@redhat.com>, "Tim Irnich"
> <tim.irnich@ericsson.com>, "Georg Kunz" <georg.kunz@ericsson.com>, "Gabor Halász" <gabor.halasz@ericsson.com>,
> "Mechthild Buescher" <mechthild.buescher@ericsson.com>
> Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 11:13:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC PATCH 0/4] testpmd: simulating noisy host environment
> 
> 31/10/2017 11:13, Bruce Richardson:
> > On Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 02:41:05AM -0400, Victor Kaplansky wrote:
> > > 
> > > This RFC patch propose enhancements to testpmd to simulate
> > > more realistic behavior of a guest machine engaged in receiving
> > > and sending packets performing Virtual Network Function (VNF).
> > > 
> > > The goal is to enable simple of measuring performance impact on cache and
> > > memory footprint utilization from various VNF co-located on the
> > > same host machine.
> > > 
> > > This series of patches adds the new command line switches to
> > > testpmd:
> > > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > while I think this functionality is of use, I don't think it should go
> > into testpmd. Testpmd is designed for testing NIC PMDs, and not as a
> > general test tool, and is already complicated enough with lots of
> > commandline options. For the task of testing VNF use-cases, I think a
> > new separate app or example would be better.
> 
> Not sure.
> If we need to mix the VNF simulation options with the NIC features
> options (implemented in testpmd), then testpmd would be a good fit.
> 
> Please Victor, give your arguments to make the discussion progressing.
>