One-way Loss Pattern Sample Metrics
RFC 3357

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Network Working Group                                          R. Koodli
Request for Comments: 3357                         Nokia Research Center
Category: Informational                                     R. Ravikanth
                                                                Axiowave
                                                             August 2002

                  One-way Loss Pattern Sample Metrics

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   Using the base loss metric defined in RFC 2680, this document defines
   two derived metrics "loss distance" and "loss period", and the
   associated statistics that together capture loss patterns experienced
   by packet streams on the Internet.  The Internet exhibits certain
   specific types of behavior (e.g., bursty packet loss) that can affect
   the performance seen by the users as well as the operators.  The loss
   pattern or loss distribution is a key parameter that determines the
   performance observed by the users for certain real-time applications
   such as packet voice and video.  For the same loss rate, two
   different loss distributions could potentially produce widely
   different perceptions of performance.

Koodli & Ravikanth           Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 3357          One-way Loss Pattern Sample Metrics        August 2002

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction                                                     3
   2. Terminology                                                      3
   3. The Approach                                                     3
   4. Basic Definitions                                                4
   5.  Definitions for Samples of One-way Loss Distance, and One-way
        Loss Period                                                    5
       5.1. Metric Names  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
             5.1.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . .  5
             5.1.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . .  5
       5.2. Metric Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
       5.3. Metric Units  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
             5.3.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . .  5
             5.3.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . .  5
       5.4. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
             5.4.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . .  6
             5.4.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . .  6
             5.4.3. Examples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       5.5. Methodologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
       5.6. Discussion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       5.7. Sampling Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       5.8. Errors and Uncertainties  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
   6. Statistics                                                       9
       6.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Noticeable-Rate . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       6.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Total  . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       6.3. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Lengths  . . . . . . . . . . . 10
       6.4. Type-P-One-Way-Inter-Loss-Period-Lengths  . . . . . . . . 10
       6.5. Examples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   7. Security Considerations                                         11
       7.1. Denial of Service Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
       7.2. Privacy / Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
       7.3. Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   8. IANA Considerations                                             12
   9. Acknowledgements                                                12
   10. Normative References                                           12
   11. Informative References                                         13
   Authors' Addresses                                                 14
   Full Copyright Statement                                           15

Koodli & Ravikanth           Informational                      [Page 2]
RFC 3357          One-way Loss Pattern Sample Metrics        August 2002

1. Introduction

   In certain real-time applications (such as packet voice and video),
   the loss pattern or loss distribution is a key parameter that
   determines the performance observed by the users.  For the same loss
   rate, two different loss distributions could potentially produce
   widely different perceptions of performance.  The impact of loss
   pattern is also extremely important for non-real-time applications
   that use an adaptive protocol such as TCP.  Refer to [4], [5], [6],
   [11] for evidence as to the importance and existence of loss