NSTS is network meta-benchmarking suite, that was created to automate and standardize network performance estimation process, without defining explicit algorithms. As a meta-benchmarking tool it knows how to execute other established benchmarking tools and gather results, or even run real scenario network services and monitor their performance.
Before installing NSTS ensure that you have python 2.7+ on your system.
Download the latest release of NSTS from https://github.com/sque/nsts/releases, and then unzip it in a folder. You can execute nsts, by executing nsts.py
cd nsts-latest-release/src
python nsts.py --help
NSTS uses some terms and concepts to describe benchmarking procedure. It would be best to familiarize yourself before starting using NSTS.
Profile is a "wrapper" around other benchmarking tools or network services. A profile describes the "wrapped" tool, possible results, profile options and provides the needed scripts to execute it.
Although you could run a profile and gather results, this is not always the best idea. The results have a variance due to system/network state, and other parameters that we cannot control. To overcome this problem, NSTS executes multiple times a profile and return statistical data on the results (average, minimum, maximum, deviation). Every execution of a profile is called a sample, and there is a dead-time interval between samples.
Each profiles define a one way speed test. This means that the one end will transmit data and the other will receive them. When you execute a profile you need to define direction of execution, nsts will organize both peers to achieve it.
A test is a complete description of how to execute a profile in a reprodusable way. It involves options of the profile, direction of execution, number of samples, interval time between samples and some other parameters.
A test suite, is a list of multiple tests, that can be described a suite file. A speed suite provides a way to standardize a benchmarking procedure in a given enviroment. You can have suite that target more on transfer rates, or packet loss, or latency depending the scenarion you want to benchmark.
A suite file is an ini file that contains all tests for the given suite. (check "suite syntax" section). Instead of defining test from command line you can pass a suite file to execute.
After downloading and unzipping the software you can run NSTS by executing
python nsts.py --help
To run NSTS you have to run the server in one endpoint and the client in the other endpoint of the link that you want to benchmark.
python nsts.py --list-profiles
Server:
python nsts.py -s
Client:
python nsts.py -c servername --tests=iperf_tcp
Server:
python nsts.py -s
Client:
python nsts.py -c servername --tests=iperf_jitter-s,ping-s
Server:
python nsts.py -s
Client:
python nsts.py -c servername --suite=filename.ini
Server:
python nsts.py -s -6 -p 15000
Client:
python nsts.py -6 -p 15000 -c servername --suite=filename.ini
A suite file is an configuration file (ini format) that contains all tests for the given suite. Each section of the ini file is a test except section "global" which is used for suite options. The name of each section defines also the id of the test so it must be unique inside a suite.
Example:
[global]
interval = 1 sec
samples = 10
[short_tcp]
profile = iperf_tcp
name = Fast connections
samples = 30
interval = 0
iperf_tcp.time = 1 sec
[long_tcp]
profile = iperf_tcp
name = Long last connections
samples = 5
interval = 20 sec
iperf_tcp.time = 20 sec
[low_rate_latency]
name = Low Rate latency jittering
profile = iperf_jitter
samples = 6
interval = 0
iperf_jitter.time = 10
iperf_jitter.rate = 1 Mbps
[fast_rate_latency]
name = Fast Rate latency jittering
profile = iperf_jitter
samples = 6
interval = 0
iperf_jitter.time = 10
iperf_jitter.rate = 10 Mbps
[estimate_latency]
name = Latency estimations
profile = ping
- interval : Is the time between samples. You can define it globaly and overide its value per test.
- samples : Is the number of profile execution per test. You can define it globaly and overide its value per test.
- name : Is the friendly name of test, it will be shown on the results section
- profile : (mandatory) The id of the profile
- direction : By default tests are run bidirectional. You can define "send" or "receive direction .
- foo.bar : Set the option bar of the profile foo. Foo is the id of the profile and must be the same as at the profile option. bar must be an id of a valid option of profile foo.
Please file your ideas, bugs, comments at https://github.com/sque/nsts