kttcp(4) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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KTTCP(4)                NetBSD Kernel Interfaces Manual               KTTCP(4)


NAME

     kttcp -- kernel support for testing network throughput


SYNOPSIS

     pseudo-device kttcp


DESCRIPTION

     This driver provides kernel support for testing network throughput from
     the perspective of the kernel.  It is similar in spirit to the classic
     ttcp network benchmark program, the main difference being that with
     kttcp, the kernel is the source and sink of the data.

     Testing like this is useful for a few reasons:

     1.   This allows us to know what kind of performance we can expect from
          network applications that run in the kernel space, such as the NFS
          server or the NFS client.  These applications don't have to move the
          data to/from userspace, and so benchmark programs which run in
          userspace don't give us an accurate model.

     2.   Since data received is just thrown away, the receiver is very fast.
          This can provide better exercise for the sender at the other end.

     3.   Since the NetBSD kernel currently uses a run-to-completion schedul-
          ing model, kttcp provides a benchmark model where preemption of the
          benchmark program is not an issue.


SEE ALSO

     pkgsrc/benchmarks/kttcp, pkgsrc/benchmarks/ttcp

NetBSD 5.1                     December 2, 2006                     NetBSD 5.1