Rate Measurement Test Protocol Problem Statement and Requirements
RFC 7497

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Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                         A. Morton
Request for Comments: 7497                                     AT&T Labs
Category: Informational                                       April 2015
ISSN: 2070-1721

   Rate Measurement Test Protocol Problem Statement and Requirements

Abstract

   This memo presents a problem statement for access rate measurement
   for test protocols to measure IP Performance Metrics (IPPM).  Key
   rate measurement test protocol aspects include the ability to control
   packet characteristics on the tested path, such as asymmetric rate
   and asymmetric packet size.

Status of This Memo

   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
   published for informational purposes.

   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 a candidate for any level of Internet
   Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7497.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2015 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Morton                        Informational                     [Page 1]
RFC 7497                 Rate Problem Statement               April 2015

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
     1.1.  Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   2.  Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Active Rate Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   4.  Measurement Method Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   5.  Test Protocol Control and Generation Requirements . . . . . .   9
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   7.  Operational Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
   Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14

1.  Introduction

   There are many possible rate measurement scenarios.  This memo
   describes one rate measurement problem and presents a rate
   measurement problem statement for test protocols to measure IP
   Performance Metrics (IPPM).

   When selecting a form of access to the Internet, subscribers are
   interested in the performance characteristics of the various
   alternatives.  Standardized measurements can be a basis for
   comparison between these alternatives.  There is an underlying need
   to coordinate measurements that support such comparisons and to test
   control protocols to fulfill this need.  The figure below depicts
   some typical measurement points of access networks.

   User     /====== Fiber =======  Access Node \
   Device -|------ Copper -------  Access Node -|-- Infrastructure -- GW
   or Host  \------ Radio -------  Access Node /

                               GW = Gateway

   The access rate scenario or use case has received widespread
   attention of Internet-access subscribers and seemingly all Internet-
   industry players, including regulators.  This problem is being
   approached with many different measurement methods.  The eventual
   protocol solutions to this problem (and the systems that utilize the
   protocol) may not directly involve users, such as when tests reach
   from the infrastructure to a service-specific device, such as a
   residential gateway.  However, no aspect of the problem precludes
   users from developing a test protocol controlled via command line

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RFC 7497                 Rate Problem Statement               April 2015

   interfaces on both ends.  Thus, a very wide range of test protocols,
   active measurement methods, and system solutions are the possible
   outcomes of this problem statement.