Performance Node: Live CD

perfSONAR Network Performance Toolkit - v2.0

The perfSONAR Network Performance Toolkit (pS-NPToolkit) is a customized version of a Knoppix Live-CD bootable disk. The software consists of an iso disk image that can be used in one of two ways: 1) burn the image to a disk (recommended) or 2) mount the ISO file system and run as a virtual machine (e.g. under VMware, QEMU, or xen). After performing either step, the result is a fully-configured system capable of running and using many advanced network tools and methodologies to serve as either a testing point or a means to solve performance issues.

Background

The original idea for the NPToolkit came from the Network Performance Workshop series sponsored by Internet2. The old format of this workshop consisted of a day of tool installation (e.g. installing the Web100-enhanced kernel and other performance tools) followed by some time to test and use them. This particular format did not allow enough time to get to the primary reason many participants choose to sign up: solving network performance problems.

To lower the bar on this complex topic, this product offers a complete network performance suite pre-installed (and in many cases pre-configured) that is ready to be dropped directly into a network operations center (NOC) of any size. With the integration of perfSONAR tools, the results of both passive and active measurements can be shared in a federated environment with your peers enabling the early detection of performance issues.

Purpose

When serving as a measurement point, a use case adopted by Large Hadron Collider (LHC) affiliated Tier 2 sites in the United States, the disk becomes a part of a global registry of perfSONAR tools. Affiliated sites and other interested parties may perform any number of tests (on demand, or in some cases regularly scheduled) to the installation including:

  • Ping
  • Traceroute
  • OWAMP (One-way Ping)
  • BWCTL
    • Iperf
    • Thrulay
    • Nuttcp
  • NDT
  • NPAD

When used in the role of a network debugging infrastructure, the various tools can be used to methodically find, diagnose, and aid in the correction of network performance issues.

Installation and Disk Contents

Please visit pS-NPToolkitQuickStart for a complete set of instructions regarding installation and configuration. Click here for a complete list and explanation of the Disk Contents.


Note, the pS-NPtoolkit disk should automatically find and mount USB drives when they are installed and clean up when they are removed.  Unfortunately, we have not figured out the steps necessary to accomplish this task yet.  Anyone with experience should feel free to provide us with the steps necessary so they can be incorporated into the next release of this CD-ROM.

For more details about the BWCTL, NDT, OWAMP, and Thrulay tools visit the Internet2 Performance Initiative web site http://www.internet2.edu/performance.  For more details about the NPAD tool visit the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center (PSC) http://www.psc.edu/networking/projects/pathdiag/ web page.

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