Network Working Group R. Koodli
Request for Comments: 3357 Nokia Research Center
Category: Informational R. Ravikanth
Axiowave
August 2002
One-way Loss Pattern Sample Metrics
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
Using the base loss metric defined in RFC 2680, this document defines
two derived metrics "loss distance" and "loss period", and the
associated statistics that together capture loss patterns experienced
by packet streams on the Internet. The Internet exhibits certain
specific types of behavior (e.g., bursty packet loss) that can affect
the performance seen by the users as well as the operators. The loss
pattern or loss distribution is a key parameter that determines the
performance observed by the users for certain real-time applications
such as packet voice and video. For the same loss rate, two
different loss distributions could potentially produce widely
different perceptions of performance.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Terminology 3
3. The Approach 3
4. Basic Definitions 4
5. Definitions for Samples of One-way Loss Distance, and One-way
Loss Period 5
5.1. Metric Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.1.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . . 5
5.1.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . . 5
5.2. Metric Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.3. Metric Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.3.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . . 5
5.3.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . . 5
5.4. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5.4.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream . . . . . . . 6
5.4.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream . . . . . . . . 6
5.4.3. Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5.5. Methodologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.6. Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.7. Sampling Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.8. Errors and Uncertainties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6. Statistics 9
6.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Noticeable-Rate . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Total . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6.3. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6.4. Type-P-One-Way-Inter-Loss-Period-Lengths . . . . . . . . 10
6.5. Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7. Security Considerations 11
7.1. Denial of Service Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.2. Privacy / Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.3. Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8. IANA Considerations 12
9. Acknowledgements 12
10. Normative References 12
11. Informative References 13
Authors' Addresses 14
Full Copyright Statement 15
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1. Introduction
In certain real-time applications (such as packet voice and video),
the loss pattern or loss distribution is a key parameter that
determines the performance observed by the users. For the same loss
rate, two different loss distributions could potentially produce
widely different perceptions of performance. The impact of loss
pattern is also extremely important for non-real-time applications
that use an adaptive protocol such as TCP. Refer to [4], [5], [6],
[11] for evidence as to the importance and existence of loss
burstiness and its effect on packet voice and video applications.
Previously, the focus of the IPPM had been on specifying base metrics
such as delay, loss and connectivity under the framework described in
RFC 2330. However, specific Internet behaviors can also be captured
under the umbrella of the IPPM framework, specifying new concepts
while reusing existing guidelines as much as possible. In this
document, we propose two derived metrics, called "loss distance" and
"loss period", with associated statistics, to capture packet loss
patterns. The loss period metric captures the frequency and length
(burstiness) of loss once it starts, and the loss distance metric
captures the spacing between the loss periods. It is important to
note that these metrics are derived based on the base metric Type-P-
One-Way-packet-Loss.
2. Terminology
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", "OPTIONAL", and
"silently ignore" in this document are to be interpreted as described
in BCP 14, RFC 2119 [2].
3. The Approach
This document closely follows the guidelines specified in [3].
Specifically, the concepts of singleton, sample, statistic,
measurement principles, Type-P packets, as well as standard-formed
packets all apply. However, since the document proposes to capture
specific Internet behaviors, modifications to the sampling process
MAY be needed. Indeed, this is mentioned in [1], where it is noted
that alternate sampling procedures may be useful depending on
specific circumstances. This document proposes that the specific
behaviors be captured as "derived" metrics from the base metrics the
behaviors are related to. The reasons for adopting this position are
the following:
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- it provides consistent usage of singleton metric definition for
different behaviors (e.g., a single definition of packet loss is
needed for capturing burst of losses, 'm out of n' losses etc.)
- it allows re-use of the methodologies specified for the singleton
metric with modifications whenever necessary
- it clearly separates few base metrics from many Internet behaviors
Following the guidelines in [3], this translates to deriving sample
metrics from the respective singletons. The process of deriving
sample metrics from the singletons is specified in [3], [1], and
others.
In the following sections, we apply this approach to a particular
Internet behavior, namely the packet loss process.
4. Basic Definitions
Sequence number: Consecutive packets in a time series sample are
given sequence numbers that are consecutive
integers. This document does not specify exactly
how to associate sequence numbers with packets. The
sequence numbers could be contained within test
packets themselves, or they could be derived through
post-processing of the sample.
Bursty loss: The loss involving consecutive packets of a stream.
Loss Distance: The difference in sequence numbers of two successively
lost packets which may or may not be separated by
successfully received packets.
Example: In a packet stream, the packet with sequence number 20 is
considered lost, followed by the packet with sequence number
50. The loss distance is 30.
Loss period: Let P_i be the i'th packet. Define f(P_i) = 1 if P_i is
lost, 0 otherwise. Then, a loss period begins if
f(P_i) = 1 and f(P_(i-1)) = 0
Example: Consider the following sequence of lost (denoted by x) and
received (denoted by r) packets.
r r r x r r x x x r x r r x x x
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Then, with `i' assigned as follows,
1 1 1 1 1 1
i: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
f(P_i) is,
f(P_i): 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1
and there are four loss periods in the above sequence beginning at
P_3, P_6, P_10, and P_13.
5. Definitions for Samples of One-way Loss Distance, and One-way Loss
Period
5.1. Metric Names
5.1.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream
5.1.2. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Period-Stream
5.2. Metric Parameters
Src, the IP address of a host
Dst, the IP address of a host
T0, a time
Tf, a time
lambda, a rate of any sampling method chosen in reciprocal of
seconds
5.3. Metric Units
5.3.1. Type-P-One-Way-Loss-Distance-Stream
A sequence of pairs of the form , where loss is
derived from the sequence of