[ovs-dev] [PATCH] RFC: Add support for connection tracking.

[Justin Pettit]

On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Madhu Challa <challa at noironetworks.com>
wrote:

>
> I got a chance to try out your code with the example flows and measure raw
> packet throughput with and without connection tracking. The code works and
> the performance numbers look pretty good.
>

Sorry that I missed this message earlier.  Thank you very much for trying
this out and getting some performance numbers!


> I ran two sets of tests both with 4 iptable rules in chain input and 8 in
> chain forward, all default rules coming from a docker installation. The
> setup is a ovs connected to two packet generators via two ports. I am using
> dpdk-pktgen.
>

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by using iptables rules and OVS.  I
would have expected you just to be using OVS flows instead of iptables, but
maybe I misunderstand.


> In the first test I am sending random tcp 64 byte packets and the
> throughput difference is about 20% (5484/6819 Mbps)
>

Are these two rates representing no conntrack (6819) and with conntrack
(5484)?


> In the second test I let a connection get established and then hijack the
> connection via pktgen and send a spoofed packet from one end to the other.
> Here I see a throughput difference of 15%.
>

Why do you think the performance is better when hijacking the connection?
Is it that pktgen is detecting a slower rate when the caches are heating up
and never adjusts itself up?

Thanks again!

--Justin