Subject: RE: [bmwg] Is the BMWG a proper home for this I-D?

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:39:32 -0400

Which would you consider the "lab test" - Convergence using Control Plane or
Convergence using Data Plane?  I think it is much easier to create a black
box test to measure convergence based upon traffic flow measured in data
plane.   No "dissecting" (White Box) required.

Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: Russ White [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 6:34 PM
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked]; [email-masked]
Subject: RE: [bmwg] Is the BMWG a proper home for this I-D?

> Both of these proposed definitions are incomplete.  Convergence does not
> occur until the traffic is correctly routed out the correct interface,
> which means in today's routers the FIB must be updated in an ASIC at the
> line card.  Remember - SP customers do not observe route table changes
> due to cvonvergence, they observe traffic loss.

Well, that's the difference between a benchmark in a lab and in the real
world, I'd think. In a lab, when evaluating a particular implementation, I
can care very much more about actual total rp convergence than about
dropped packets. You have dissect a frog as well as observe it to
understand it, you can't just ask "how far does it jump," or "how fast."

IMHO, the concept of convergence is very flexible, and we should define
within the context of the document at hand, rather than trying to nail down
a specific definition of the word.

:-)

Russ

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From: Russ White <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:44:59 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

> Which would you consider the "lab test" - Convergence using Control Plane
> or Convergence using Data Plane?  I think it is much easier to create a
> black box test to measure convergence based upon traffic flow measured in
> data plane.  No "dissecting" (White Box) required.

Both, and both can be important. I've seen situations where someone misses
something _very_ important by focusing on just packet forwarding and
traffic flows in their design testing, and I've seen people miss things
doing the opposite.

As far as designing black box tests for measuring convergence, I think it's
possible, to some degree or another. It isn't a question of what's easier,
it's a question of what's useful, and both are clearly useful.

:-)

Russ

---

From: Russ White <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:44:59 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

:-)

Russ