This article is a short guide on how to create an RFC-2544 test with the ByteBlower GUI. This test estimates the throughput of your network. The main advantage is that you have proper control over a number of parameters. The drawback is that RFC-2544 test runs tend to take quite some time.

The text begins with a short introduction and ends with a couple pointers on next steps.

Introduction: Creating a first RFC-2544 scenario

RFC-2544 tests are created with the RFC-2544 wizard. As you'll see further on, this wizard will create a couple ports, a flow and a scenario for you to run. This is very similar to any of the other traffic flows (FrameBlasting, TCP).

As the screenshot below shows, the RFC-2544 wizard is found in the menu bar under Wizard-menu at the top of the ByteBlower GUI.


The first 3 screens have an introduction and give you the chance to configure the source and destination of the test. These steps are the same as the other wizards. The result of the steps in the screenshots below are two new ByteBlower ports:

• RFC_2544_SOURCE_1
• RFC_2544_DESTINATION_1

Both are regalar ByteBlower ports.  The config below, they receive their IPv4 address through DHCP. As will be shown further, you can still change the ports afterwards.



Only in the final window you'll find RFC-2544 specific parameters. You'll need to configure following 3 items:

• A list of frame sizes
• The duration of a single iteration/step
• and the acceptable loss level.

As we've said in the intro, the main drawback of RFC-2544 tests is their duration. Only the first two parameters have an impact on the duration. On each change, the total duration shown at the bottom of the window is updated. This total duration is an estimate, in most occasions the test will finish a lot sooner.



The end result of this Wizard is seen at these places:

• Port view: there are 2 new ports.
• Flow view: An extra flow that uses the newly created ports. The details of the template are shown in the info panel next at the left.
• The Scenario view has an extra scenario using the new flow.

All three windows are shown in the screen screen shot below.

Running an RFC-2544 test

The results

Hints and tricks

Testing IPv6

The RFC-2544 flow can handle IPv6 ByteBlower ports. Since the wizard default generates IPv4 ports you'll need to reconfigure your project a bit. You've got two options:

1. Drag the newly generated ports from the IPv4 panel to the IPv6 one.
2. Create new IPv6 ports and use these as source and destination.

Editing fame sizes and loss level

To change the frame sizes and loss level, go tho the Flow-view and right-click on the Flow Template. In the popup-menu select "Jump to Edit..."

Here you now can change the frame sizes and the acceptable frameloss of the RFC2544 flow.