CN

Introduction To Iperf3 Bandwidth Test

Time: 2024-03-13
1. Overview of iperf3
        iperf3 is a commonly used network performance testing tool. It supports various parameters related to timing, buffer settings, and protocols (TCP, UDP, SCTP, IPv4 and IPv6), and is used to evaluate core network link performance indicators such as transmission bandwidth, latency jitter, and packet loss.
2. iperf3 Test Environment
        Test equipment: 2 servers; 2 network interface cards (NICs); 2 optical transceivers; 1 dual-fiber patch cord.
        Connect the devices according to the following network topology diagram:
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 1 Simple iperf3 Test Topology
3. iperf3 Testing Software
        Download address: https://iperf.fr/iperf-download.php
        For this test, we select the 64-bit CentOS version, and the downloaded file is named iperf3-3.1.3-1.fc24.x86_64.rpm.
        Enter the command rpm -ivh [file name] in the server terminal to install the iperf tool.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 2 iperf3 Software Installation
4. iperf3 Test Procedure
        a. Insert one optical transceiver into port p4p1 of the Intel XXV710 NIC on a Dell R720 2U server, and insert the other transceiver into port ens2f0 of the Intel X710 NIC on an HPE ProLiant DL380 server. Connect the two servers back-to-back with a short patch cord. After the NIC link status is up (steady LED light), open the terminals of both servers.
        b. Open the terminal on the Dell R720 2U server, configure the IP address of port p4p1 as 7.7.7.7 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and verify the configuration.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 3 iperf3 IP Configuration for p4p1
        c. Open the terminal on the HPE ProLiant DL380 server, configure the IP address of port ens2f0 as 7.7.7.8 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and verify the configuration.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 4 iperf3 IP Configuration for ens2f0
        d. Disable the firewall and restart the network management service to make the IP configuration take effect.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 5 Restart Service to Activate IP Configuration
        e. Run the iperf3 server on the Dell R720 2U server.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 6 Running the iperf3 Server
        f. Run the iperf3 client on the HPE ProLiant DL380 server, and observe the traffic/bandwidth test results as shown in the figure below.
iperf3 test simple topology
Figure 7 Bandwidth Test of SFP-10G-SR-C-D11 Transceiver on NIC
        When optical transceivers are used in servers, they operate at the physical layer, performing transparent photoelectric conversion and transmission of binary "0" and "1" signals. They generally do not cause fluctuations in bandwidth during iperf3 tests.
        Due to CPU hardware limitations, the actual bandwidth measured in iperf3 traffic tests using optical transceivers usually cannot reach 100% of the rated bandwidth. As shown in Figure 7 above, although the optical transceiver supports 10 Gbit/s bandwidth, only approximately 9.4 Gbit/s is achieved under the current server hardware conditions.
        Moduletek sincerely serves you!
        For further inquiries about the above content, please contact us at: sales@moduletek.com
Back
PREVIOUS：Mellanox MMA2L20-AR Optical Module Sample Report
NEXT：Introduction To DML And EML Modulation Methods For Optical Modules