home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
High Voltage Shareware
/
high1.zip
/
high1
/
DIR21
/
LANPULSE.ZIP
/
LANPULSE.TXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-05-30
|
40KB
|
939 lines
First Edition May 1992
This is an ASCII text version of the LANPulse manual. This text file contains
the basic information needed to operate and understand LANPulse. The manual
supplied with a registered copy of LANPulse is bound, contains additional
information, graphics, a table of contents and glossary.
The following document contains examples of data and reports used in LAN
performance evaluation. To illustrate them as completely as possible, the
examples may contain names of individuals and companies. All names are
fictitious, and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an actual
person or corporation is purely coincidental.
Requests for copies of this product and for technical information about the
system should be made to:
Wildon Research
PO Box 288
Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
CompuServe ID: 71031,1765
Any comments should also be sent to that address. Wildon may use or distribute
any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without
incurring any obligations whatever.
(c)Copyright Wildon Research 1992
All rights reserved.
Overview
Capabilities
LANPulse was developed to provide LAN administrators with a tool to quantify
system performance. You can effectively use LANPulse to perform the following
tasks:
Performance Monitoring
LANPulse provides you with the true bottom line to LAN
performance with a graphical representation of
throughput, as the user sees it. LANPulse measures
true response time from any network node. LANPulse is
sensitive enough to detect the effect of a user login as
well as demonstrate the performance impact of moving
large CAD drawings over the LAN.
Configuration Testing
LANPulse can be used to compare the effects of equipment
and software changes on a LAN. By comparing a before
and after graph it is easy to accurately determine
impact to performance.
Stress Analysis
LANPulse, in conjunction with LANLoad, can add a load to
your LAN so that its effect can be watched. With this
you can simulate the effect of high traffic on any part
of the LAN.
Modeling
LANPulse can be used in a predictive fashion to
determine the effect of adding network traffic which
does not yet exist.
LAN Requirements
LANPulse is not specific to any Network Operating System or topology. Any NOS
which uses DOS based workstations can use LANPulse. This includes Novell
Netware, Banyan VINES, and LANTastic among others.
Hardware Requirements
IBM compatible computer (386/20 or faster recommended) with at least one 1.5 Mb
disk drive space available; one floppy disk (for installation of software); and
640 Kb RAM. LANPulse does not make use of extended or expanded memory. VGA
(mono/color) monitor.
Note: LANPulse must be able to respond quickly. Therefore do not run LANPulse
from a workstation with a clock speed slow enough to become its own performance
bottleneck. LANPulse will function but will not provide an accurate upper
bound on performance information. A 386/20 machine is generally always fast
enough. LANLoad, not having the same speed requirements as LANPulse, may be run
from any workstation.
Software Requirements
LANPulse runs under 2.1 and later releases of DOS.
Operation with Microsoft Windows
LANPulse is not incompatible with Microsoft Windows but the use of Windows is
generally undesirable. Windows does not allow LANPulse to respond quickly
enough to accurately report LAN performance. The exception to this is when
LANLoad is being used to create a load on the LAN and LANPulse is providing the
performance measurement. In this case LANLoad can operate under Windows. The
copy of LANPulse measuring the effect of the load should run from DOS.
Inventory of LANPulse Files
LPPROG.EXE The LANPulse program
LANPULSE.BAT Used to start LANPulse.
LPLOAD.EXE The LANLoad program (Not included with Demo)
LPSETUP.EXE LANPulse setup/configuration program
SETDGE.EXE Initializes the LANPulse graphics
LPPROC.BAT Batch file executed via Threshold Notification
LPINSTAL.EXE Installation program (Not included with Demo)
Configuring and Running LANPulse
Configuring LANPulse
The LANPulse configuration program, LPSETUP, allows you to set which printer
and port to use and in what format to send graphical data to the printer.
LPSETUP is run automatically following LANPulse installation. To rerun LPSETUP
at any subsequent time enter: LPSETUP ─┘
The Printer Menu
From this menu you may select the type printer to use for LANPulse graphs.
- HP LaserJet
Provides support for the Hewlett Packard family of laser printer.
- Postscript
Will print to any Postscript capable printer.
- Epson Graphics
Provides support for dot matrix printer graphics. Any printer which
emulates the Epson command set will be supported here.
- PCX Image
Converts the graphic to a PCX file. You will be prompted for a file
name to print to. The resulting PCX file can then be imported into
a number of spreadsheet and wordprocessing programs.
The Port Menu
This menu determines the computer port or disk file that the graphic output
will be written to.
- LPT1, LPT2
Allows selection between either your first or second parallel port.
Note: LPT1 is equivalent to PRN.
- COM1, COM2
Allows selection between the first or second serial port.
- DISK
Prompts for a filename which will be the destination for LANPulse
output. The results of this can be printed at a later time.
Starting LANPulse
Start LANPulse with the command: LANPULSE ─┘
Command Reference
LANPulse Commands
The first step in using LANPulse effectively for performance monitoring is to
establish an appropriate baseline for your LAN. LANPulse does not diagnose LAN
performance. It measures performance and provides you with a view of changes
to performance over a selected time span. It is important to understand that a
single performance graph tells little. It is essential that you know what is
normal for your LAN. Simply put, you must know what is normal for your LAN
before you can determine what is not.
This section explains the function of each menu command. An understanding of
these is necessary prior to using LANPulse for collection of useful data.
The Menu System
LANPulse menu choices are selected by using the cursor control key to highlight
an option and then pressing the Enter key to select it. The right arrow key
will open a secondary menu while the left arrow key will close it.
The File Menu
The File menu offers various choices for retrieving existing data files,
creating new files, and exporting to other applications.
- Retrieve
Prompts for entry of the name of a previously created data file. Once
the data is loaded you may Display it on the screen or Export it to
another application. If data from a previous test has not yet been saved
you will be reminded to save that before you Retrieve new data.
Pressing F5 provides a directory listing as shown below. Ctrl-S provides
you with several different sorting options.
- Save As
Prompts for entry of a filename to be used and saves the data. This
feature is used to either provide an initial name or to rename a data
file. The F5 key will provide a directory listing. When a filename is
selected it will appear in the lower left hand corner of the LANPulse
screen.
- Comment
Prompts for entry of several lines of comments in order to provide notes
for your future convenience. LANPulse setup parameters are included in
Exported data files making that part self documenting. However, you will
want to make notes on special conditions present during the test.
- Export
Creates a copy of LANPulse data in a comma-delimited ASCII format which
can be read by Lotus 1-2-3TM, Borland QuattroTM, or Microsoft ExcelTM. This
format is very convenient if you intend to manipulate the data in some
other way. The filename extension will be .PRN.
The Setup Menu
The Setup menu contains settings which determine how LANPulse operates. You
can determine which nodes will load the LAN, how much load to apply, how often
to apply load, when to start, and for how long the test will run.
- Transfer From
You are prompted to enter a directory name to indicate the point at which
LAN loading will originate. Enter a directory name on a local hard disk
to create a load from a particular LAN node. A directory on a server disk
will create a load leaving the server. Read and write access to this
directory is required.
- Transfer To
You are prompted to enter a directory name to indicate the point at which
LAN loading will terminate. You can enter a directory name on a local
hard disk to create a load moving to a local node. By using a server
directory you create a load ending at the server. You will need write
access to any directory selected here.
- Transfer Size
A secondary menu will open giving you the ability to select the size of
the load. Loads ranging from 1Kb to 2Mb are available. Transfer sizes
256Kb and larger, if used in the Continuous mode, will cause a perceptible
performance decline on most LANs and are normally used for stress testing
only. Transfer sizes 128Kb and less are more often used for performance
monitoring.
Selecting -Other- will allow you to enter any desired transfer size. You
would select this option when you had a specific file size you wanted
information on. For example you may want to determine the effect of a
workstation to mainframe upload which always references a file of known
size. You could simulate the effect by selecting the precise transfer
size here. More information on selecting transfer size is available in
the sections on Stress Analysis and Performance Monitoring.
- Samples (Limited to 100 in the Demo version)
You are prompted to enter the number of load transfer to occur. One point
on the performance graph will be plotted per transfer.
- Frequency
A secondary menu opens to allow selection of how frequently the LAN
loading is applied. Choices are Continuous, every 5-30 seconds, and every
1-15 minutes. Continuous transfer provides the most accurate performance
graph but it also will have the greatest impact on LAN traffic. It is
therefore used only for viewing the immediate effects of a LAN event. A 5-
30 second delay is used when a test will run for longer durations (several
hours).
The 1-15 minute transfer delay is most often used if a copy of LANPulse
will be dedicated to constant monitoring of LAN performance. In this
fashion LANPulse can gather performance information 24 hours a day without
noticeable LAN impact.
When a frequency other than Continuous is selected you will be asked to
select between Variable and Non-Variable. A variable delay will cause
LANPulse to randomly add up to ±2 seconds to the interval specified. You
may wish to use a Variable delay to eliminate the possibility of missing
a LAN based event which is occurring at regular intervals. In most cases
Non-Variable, which initiates a LAN test at the selected frequency
interval, will be fine.
- Read/Write
A major cause of LAN performance problems relates to reading and writing
files on server disks. LANPulse can simulate reading from or writing to
a file located anywhere on the network from anywhere on the network
(subject to LAN security configuration). A secondary menu opens which
allows you to select Read/Write or Read Only operations. Read/Write and
Read Only requires you to have write access to the Transfer From and
Transfer To directories.
- Direction
After selecting the Transfer From/Transfer To setting you may want to have
the entire test proceed on this direction or have it alternate one for the
other. You may select that option here. Uni-Directional adheres to
Transfer From/Transfer To settings while Bi-Directional will alternate
between them on each test.
- Multi-File
The Multi-File option allows testing of the effects of disk caches (and
their sizes) on LAN performance. For example; if you have a 2Mb disk
cache and you are using a 256K transfer size you may want to select
Multiple File Names with eight target files. This will cause eight 256K
loads to be transmitted thus guaranteeing that the cache will be
completely filled. The ability to fill a disk cache has great potential
for testing of different cache settings under different loads. Select
Single File Name or set Number of Target Files to 0 to turn off the Multi-
File option.
- Schedule
Allows you to specify a time and day to start an unattended LAN test. You
will find the feature to be invaluable when testing must happen during
your lunch hour or after work. You are prompted to enter a start and end
time and date. Use 24 hour time (14:30 = 2:30pm) and be certain that your
computer clock is properly set.
- Threshold
You are prompted to enter a minimum effective transfer rate and duration
which will trigger the execution of a customizable batch file.
Note: This feature requires that TEXT mode be enabled during a test
run since running a batch file in the background is incompatible
with graphics mode screen display.
For example, you may have decided that when LAN throughput is reduced to
50Kb/sec it will cause user complaints. You will then want to set the
minimum effective transfer rate to 50 and then select a duration. The
duration is the number of samples that the effective transfer rate has
averaged below the effective transfer rate threshold (in this example,
50Kb/sec.) When this situation occurs LANPulse executes the batch file
LP_PROC.BAT for you.
You can be as creative or a complex as you desire when deciding what to
place in LP_PROC.BAT. Perhaps you would have it execute a program which
logs the event or perhaps you would send a message to the LAN
administrator via your network software. The event is ignored if
LP_PROC.BAT does not exist.
LANPulse sends three variables to LP_PROC.BAT which you can use however
you wish. They are effective transfer rate, current sample number, and
warning number. Warning number is a count of messages sent so far. A
sample use of these three figures would be as follows.
LP_PROC.BAT
@echo off
netsend "Network Manager" Effective transfer rate of %1 Kb/sec
netsend "Network Manager" This is sample number %2
netsend "Network Manager" This is warning number %3
Note: Replace netsend with the appropriate network message command.
The Run Menu
- Text
Provides a real time textual view of a LANPulse test. Use this if your
monitor is not capable of providing VGA resolution.
The text display shows the current direction of the load transfer by the
orientation of the >>> or <<< characters. The Start and Finish time of
the current transfer, the Time of the transfer in seconds, the ETR
(effective transfer rate), and the sequential Number of the current
transfer. This window will continuously update for the duration of the
test.
- Graph
Provides a real time graphical view of a LANPulse test. The PgUp and PgDn
keys can be used to rescale the graph on the Y-axis as desired. Up to 230
points can be displayed on a screen. The graph will scroll right to left
for each subsequent data point. From this view small changes in LAN
performance can be monitored. You can see immediately how your user's
applications are affecting LAN performance and can anticipate changes you
may need to make.
The Display Menu
- Text
Display, in textual form, the currently loaded LANPulse performance data.
This option is disabled if no LANPulse data has been loaded.
- Graph
Display, in graphical form. The PgUp and PgDn keys can be used to rescale
the graph on the Y-axis as desired. The and keys move the graph left
and right along the X-axis. Up to 230 points can be displayed at one
time.
Alt-S toggles the superimposed mean and standard deviation lines on or
off.
Alt-C will replace the text at the bottom of the graph with any comments
you entered from the File | Comment screen. This allows your comments to
appear on the printed graph.
Alt-P will print the graph currently appearing on the screen to the
printer and port you set in the LPSETUP program.
The Exit Menu
Exit from LANPulse and return to DOS.
Creating a Baseline Graph
It is essential you gain a feeling for what is considered normal performance
for your LAN. You cannot look at a single graph of LAN performance and tell if
it is good or bad without prior information to compare it to. With experience
you will be able to look at a graph and tell if your LAN is running as always,
or being adversely affected by some new application.
You should gather your baseline information during a time of day when your LAN
is normally loaded and everything is configured as you wish it to be.
Suggested settings for baseline gathering:
Transfer From: A server directory
Transfer To: Another server directory
Transfer Size: Approximate the average size of files
transferred via your LAN
Samples: 250 (about 10-15 minutes on most LANs)
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Unidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
When the test completes you will have a "before" picture of performance which
you can use for comparisons later. Either Display the graph and use Alt-P to
print or select Export from the File menu, provide LANPulse a filename, and a
comma-delimited text file will be created. Then any spreadsheet product can
Import this data and allow you to present it in any form you desire. Hint:
Always use the same Y axis range on Exported graphs so that differences due to
scaling will be eliminated.
Remember that 4Mbit token ring looks different from 16Mbit and 10Mbit Ethernet
is different from either of those. UNIX based systems have performance
characteristics which make them look different from DOS based systems. Keep
this in mind and before long you can look at a LANPulse graph and tell the LAN
topology, Network Operating System in use, and sometimes even the version of
the software being tested. LANPulse is that accurate.
Exporting LANPulse Data
LANPulse has the ability to print graphs of its own (see Printing LANPulse
Graphs) but it also provides a data Export facility. Selecting Export from the
File Menu prompts you for the name of a file to export to. LANPulse provides a
filename extension of PRN. The exported data is in comma-delimited ASCII
format.
A sample file, SAMPLE.PRN, with 250 records appears below.
"Source = C:\"
"Target = C:\WILDON\"
"File size = 131072"
"Run Date = January 12, 1992"
"Samples = 250"
"Frequency = Continuous"
"Unique Target Names = 0"
" "
"Test of BitBasher model Z network interface card. "
" "
" "
" "
" "
" Source to Target"
" "
"Start","Finish","Secs","KBS","Record"
"21:41:01","21:41:01", 0.72, 177.78,1
"21:41:02","21:41:02", 0.55, 232.73,2
"21:41:03","21:41:03", 0.55, 232.73,3
"21:41:03","21:41:04", 0.61, 209.84,4
"21:41:04","21:41:05", 0.61, 209.84,5
"21:41:05","21:41:06", 0.55, 232.73,6
"21:41:06","21:41:06", 0.55, 232.73,7
"21:41:07","21:41:07", 0.55, 232.73,8
"21:41:07","21:41:08", 0.54, 237.04,9
"21:41:08","21:41:09", 0.55, 232.73,10
"21:41:09","21:41:09", 0.66, 193.94,11
"21:41:10","21:41:10", 0.66, 193.94,12
.
.
.
"21:44:42","21:44:43", 0.55, 232.73,245
"21:44:43","21:44:44", 0.55, 232.73,246
"21:44:44","21:44:45", 0.55, 232.73,247
"21:44:45","21:44:46", 0.55, 232.73,248
"21:44:46","21:44:47", 0.55, 232.73,249
"21:44:47","21:44:48", 0.61, 209.84,250
The header information contained here includes:
Source: The Transfer From point.
Target: The Transfer To point.
File Size: The Transfer Size.
Run Date: The date of the test.
Samples: The number of samples completed.
Frequency: The delay interval between each test
iteration.
Unique Target Names: Number of targets created if Cache Fill was
active.
Comment: Any comments you entered for the test.
Included in the comma-delimited data is:
Start: Time of the start of a load test.
Finish: Time of the finish of a load test.
Secs: Seconds required to complete a test.
ETR: Effective Transfer Rate. The LANPulse rating of
performance in Effective Kb/sec. This figure
is the Y axis on a performance graph.
Record: Sequential number of a load test. This figure
is the X axis on a performance graph.
Once this file is created it can be Imported by a number of different
spreadsheet products.
Printing a LANPulse Graph
The first step towards printing a LANPulse graph is to use LPSETUP to decide on
a printer type. The choices include HP LaserJet, Epson, PCX format, and
Postscript. See Configuring and Running LANPulse earlier in this document for
information on using LPSETUP.
Use Display | Graph to place LANPulse data on the screen ready for printing.
PgUp and PgDn keys can be used to rescale the graph on the Y-axis as desired.
Left cursor and right cursor keys move the graph left and right along the
X-axis. Up to 230 points can be displayed at one time.
Alt-S toggles the superimposed mean and standard deviation lines on or off.
Alt-C will replace the text at the bottom of the graph with any comments you
entered from the File | Comment screen. This allows you comments to appear on
the printed graph.
Alt-P will print the graph currently appearing on the screen to the printer and
port you set in the LPSETUP program. The screen background will temporarily
change to a black background to indicate that the graph is being sent to the
printer.
Using LANLoad
When testing the performance aspects of a LAN it is often desirable to see how
it will perform under stress. LANLoad will generate LAN traffic from the node
it is running at while you monitor the LAN performance using LANPulse from
another location. As opposed to LANPulse which may not be copied, you may make
as many copies of LANLoad as you need.
The options in LANLoad are mostly a subset of LANPulse. The main difference
being that LANLoad has no reporting capability nor can it save data. It simply
as a remote loading mechanism for LANPulse.
<LANLoad is not included in the Demo version, its documentation has been
deleted from this file>
Performance Monitoring with LANPulse
Note: Each of the case studies which follow provide a set of suggested
LANPulse settings for you to use. These are just to get you started. You
may find a variation of these settings easier for you to use or interpret.
As with all complex issues you should tailor the settings to the situation
at hand.
Have you ever wondered what effect a user's database application has on the
LAN?...What happened to performance when you changed versions of your operating
system?...A user tells you the LAN is slow today. What does this mean? Can
you really compare today with yesterday on a quantitative basis?...What is
normal for your LAN?
In the following pages let's take a look at some of these questions in the form
of case studies.
Problem: A user wants to add a database application to the LAN. You
are concerned that it may have a performance impact. What is
the actual effect on workstation response time when the
database application is running?
Procedure: If you do not have a baseline graph you should review the
section on Creating a Baseline Graph. Make sure the database
application to be tested is not running during the baseline
test.
If you do have a baseline graph you are ready to proceed.
Start LANPulse, trying the settings below to get you started,
with the database application in operation. Note: Some
persons like to start LANPulse before the application, allow
LANPulse to run for a minute or two and then start the
application to be tested. Allow LANPulse to run for the
number of intervals you wish and then save the results.
Export the data and print the graph.
On the graph you will be able to see exactly when the
database application started and ended. Notice the amount by
which the graph was shifted downward. The percentage of
downward shift shows the level of decreased performance.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: A server directory
Transfer To: Another server directory
Transfer Size: Approximate the average size of a
file transferred through your LAN.
Samples: 250
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Unidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Problem: A user has reported that the LAN seems slow today and you
want to know what is wrong.
Procedure: Start LANPulse at the normal baseline gathering settings.
Allow LANPulse to run for the number of intervals you wish
and then save the results. Export the data and print the
graph.
Compare this graph to your normal baseline graph. Note the
differences. On some occasions when a user notices slow
performance it is due to a transient load which passes
quickly. If you see that the top line of your current graph
is consistently lower than the top line of the baseline graph
then you have a problem. This may be due to such things as a
failing network interface card, or a tape backup being
carried out on your portion of the LAN.
To track down the problem you can set the Transfer To option
to other servers or LAN disks and determine on which the
performance is degraded.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: A server directory
Transfer To: Another server directory
Transfer Size: Approximate the average size of a
file transferred through your LAN.
Samples: 250
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Unidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Configuration Testing
Have you ever wondered which token ring or Ethernet network interface card has
the faster throughput on your network nodes?...Have you ever wanted to see what
effect is gained by making you disk cache larger or smaller?...Can you decide
which of two disk drives is actually faster in LAN use?...Do you ever have to
compare servers side by side? Which brand has the overall better effect on
your LAN bottom line -- performance?
The following pages outline ways in which you can approach these problems with
LANPulse.
Problem: Your management has asked you to decide between the faster of
several network interface cards.
- OR -
You must decide which of several computer systems provides
overall better throughput for your LAN.
Procedure: This type testing is best done on an isolated LAN so that
outside interference is eliminated. The perfect situation
would be a single workstation attached to a LAN server. If
you do not have the luxury of a separate test LAN just be
sure to do your testing on a relatively quiet LAN so that
user traffic does not affect your results. If you can't get
a good time during the day for your test you will want to use
the Schedule function to run tests overnight or over the
weekend.
Add the network interface card or server to be tested to the
LAN. Run LANPulse with the suggested settings and graph the
results. Change the interface card or try a different server
configuration and rerun the test. Look at the graphs to
decide which card or configuration provided the greatest
benefit.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: Any workstation directory
Transfer To: Any server directory
Transfer Size: Approximate the average size of a
file transferred through your LAN.
Samples: 250
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Problem: Many network operating systems allow you to adjust the size
of a server disk cache. Setting the size of a cache to best
fit your usage pattern is an art. It is always a tradeoff
between benefitting large files, small files, sequential
access databases, or random access databases. LANPulse can
help you find an average point that suits your needs.
Procedure: This test makes use of the Multi-File feature of LANPulse to
saturate any disk cache thereby allowing you to see the
effect of changing its size.
Before starting, you need to make a decision concerning the
average file size that your LAN transfers. Does your LAN
mainly handle database traffic? If so, you should use a
smaller (1-8Kb) load size. Do you normally use the LAN to
load applications from server to workstation? If so, use a
midrange (16-256Kb) load size. Do you mainly transfer large
CAD drawings from node to node? If so, use one of the larger
(256Kb-2Mb) load sizes.
Select the Multi-File option. Select Multiple File Names
from the next menu. Enter a number for the Number of Target
Files which would fill the cache at the current cache size.
Example: If your disk cache is 1Mb and your Transfer Size is
256Kb, in order to fill the cache you need to set the Number
of Target Files to 4.
Set your disk cache to a number of different sizes and repeat
the LANPulse test at each size. The classic effect
is slow performance with a cache that is too small with
performance increasing when the best size is reached and then
decreasing with larger cache sizes.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: Any server directory
Transfer To: Any other server directory
Transfer Size: Approximate the average size of a
file transferred through
your LAN.
Samples: 250
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: On.
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Stress Analysis/Modeling
At what point will manufacturer A's network interface card become saturated?
How robust is your LAN and how much loading can it take before the users will
be affected?
The following scenarios make use of both LANPulse and LANLoad to assist you.
Problem: You are curious as to how much traffic your new network
interface card can stand before it becomes a bottleneck.
Procedure: This type testing must be done on an isolated LAN because the
point of the test is to saturate the network with traffic.
Obviously you don't do that on your production LAN in the
middle of a work day. The network interface cards to be
tested could be either in the server or the workstation.
Note: In this situation you can use LANLoad to provide
multiples sources of LAN traffic simultaneously.
Run LANPulse with the suggested settings and graph the
results. The graphs will show a steep drop in performance
when the critical load is reached.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: Any workstation directory
Transfer To: Any server directory
Transfer Size: 2Mb
Samples: 50
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Suggested Settings for LANLoad:
Transfer From: Any workstation directory
Transfer To: Any server directory (multiple
copies of LANLoad can all use
the same server directory without
interfering with its operation)
Transfer Size: 2Mb
Samples: 50
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Advanced Applications
You would like to know how well a system will perform under heavy load. Will
it degrade gracefully or not? Would you like to determine performance of
modems? Have you ever been able to compare separate communication routes or
bridges from the basis of throughput? You want LANPulse to monitor your LAN
continuously and let you know when things go wrong.
The following applications make use of both LANPulse and LANLoad to provide you
the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Problem: You are curious as to how much traffic your network can
handle before performance will degrade.
Procedure: This type testing requires the use of LANPulse and LANLoad.
LANPulse is to be used as a monitor while copies of LANLoad
provide the load generating feature.
The copy of LANPulse acting as a monitor could be started
with the parameters below. It will run continuously for the
duration of this test. LANLoad should be allowed to run for
a period of time at each of the Transfer Size settings.
By looking at the LANPulse graphical display you will be able
to see the changing effect due to the changing load. All
loads will be visible as troughs on the graph. You should
watch for the point when the top line of the graph falls and
fails to regain its previous level. This is the point at
which LAN capacity is reached.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: Any server directory
Transfer To: Any other server directory
Transfer Size: 256Kb
Samples: 1000
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Problem: You would like to test the throughput of several modems or
LAN bridges.
- OR -
You need to test different communication routes between two
points. This test will show you which route has the better
throughput which will in turn minimize your connect time and
the resulting phone and/or PDN charges.
Procedure: Modems, even if rated at the same baud rate, do not have the
same effective throughput. Some use data compression to
increase performance and some suffer from being overly
sensitive to the quality of the data transmission thereby
decreasing performance. LANPulse can be easily used to
graphically show the sum of many factors affecting the
performance of a modem.
In this situation you will need read/write access to the
server at the remote location and well as at the local end.
Suggested LANPulse settings are given below. Run LANPulse
using each modem or communication route and graph the
results. A simple comparison of the results will be all you
need to get a handle on what throughput really is.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: local server directory
Transfer To: remote server directory
Transfer Size: 16Kb
Samples: 150
Frequency: Continuous
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: Off
Threshold: Off
Problem: You would like LANPulse to monitor your LAN continuously and
notify you of performance problems.
Procedure: This can be handled by selecting the use of the LANPulse
Threshold feature.
For example, you may have decided that when LAN throughput is
reduced to 50Kb/sec it will cause user complaints. You will
then want to set the minimum effective transfer rate to 50
and then select a duration. The duration is the number of
samples that the effective transfer rate has averaged below
the effective transfer rate threshold (in this example,
50Kb/sec.)
When this situation occurs LANPulse executes the batch file
LP_PROC.BAT for you. If LP_PROC.BAT does not exist or cannot
be found then no action will occur.
LANPulse sends three variables to LP_PROC.BAT which you can
use however you wish. They are effective transfer rate,
current sample number, and warning number. Warning number is
a count of messages sent so far. A sample use of these three
figures would be as follows.
LP_PROC.BAT
@echo off
netsend "Network Manager" Effective transfer rate of %1
netsend "Network Manager" This is iteration number %2
netsend "Network Manager" This is warning number %3
Note: Replace netsend with the network message
command appropriate for your network
software.
Suggested Settings:
Transfer From: Any server directory
Transfer To: Any other server directory
Transfer Size: 64Kb
Samples: 0
Frequency: 5 minutes
Vary Frequency: Non-Variable
Read/Write: Read/Write
Direction: Bidirectional
Multi-File: Off
Schedule: On (set for time span to monitor)
Threshold: On (set ETR and duration)