Researchers: Luc Renambot, Sungwon Nam, Xi Wang, Scott Behrens, Jonathan Ronchetti

netLasso is an intuitive software tool for multi-site network performance testing. It helps clarify the best protocol and rate to send data over a network link, facilitates troubleshooting of inter-cluster network connections, and assists in the communication of network performance issues between network users and administrators. netLasso very efficiently tests the throughput between network links and assembles the test data in a comprehensive report; as an example: to test the throughput between two 10-node clusters without netLasso would required 100 TCP tests + 100 UDP tests for each node, versus running a single command using netLasso.

netLasso’s main features are:

• Runs multiple rounds of TCP and UDP tests with different Window Size / Rate settings
• Runs tests using both nuttcp and iperf for higher reliability
• Gathers end system information while testing
• Reports test results in a number of files and automatically generates graphs using RRDtool

netLasso is a Java application that automates link performance test using iperf and nuttcp. It reads all test tasks from a configure file, copies iperf and nuttcp tarballs from the control PC to all machines being tested, builds and launches iperf / nuttcp for testing, collects all test results and writes them into result files. When the netLasso routine is complete all related processes are “killed” before exiting.

Email: xiwang@uic.edu

Date: September 1, 2005 - Ongoing

Related Entries

Directory:

• Xi Wang
• Sungwon Nam
• Luc Renambot

Related Categories

• Networking
• Software