Subject: Updated preliminary report on flow label hash algorithms

From: Brian E Carpenter <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:59:45 +1200

Hi,

In summary: I have tested, on real packet traces, several variants of the
hash algorithm suggested in the Appendix to draft-ietf-6man-flow-3697bis.
Of hashes based on the von Neumann algorithm, the one in the draft that's
now in the RFC Editor queue still seems best. Note that it is only
given as an example algorithm, not a recommendation.

Last month, I found time to run tests using the FNV hash algorithm recommended
to me by Donald Eastlake. It's significantly better, but it's still in
the process of being socialised in the IETF (draft-eastlake-fnv).

The full story:
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~brian/flowhash.html

I'm hoping that a student will run further tests as a summer project
(that means summer in Auckland, which is December-February). Suggestions
for what would be useful to test will be very welcome.

-- 
Regards
   Brian Carpenter