Time-Sensitive Network Experiments

Time-sensitive network experiments are difficult. There are major challenges in generating realistic traffic with highly accurate packet arrivals, and monitoring various system performance metrics which require high precision in timing is not trivial. Parts of these problems arise from the fact that generic network software and hardware components do not provide high-precision timing guarantees. In this paper, we study the challenges associated with performing time-sensitive network experiments in a testbed including realistic network traffic generation, delay emulation, switching/multiplexing of flows, and collecting highresolution packet level traffic information. We describe some seemingly minor details that can have significant influence on the results of experiments, and therefore require careful attention. We also show how some of these issues can be addressed by simple software tuning. For others, one needs support from hardware. We show how we have addressed some of these problems using a customized (programmable and configurable) network component called NetFPGA.