xref: /netbsd/share/man/man4/kttcp.4 (revision 6550d01e)
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27.Dd December 2, 2006
28.Dt KTTCP 4
29.Os
30.Sh NAME
31.Nm kttcp
32.Nd kernel support for testing network throughput
33.Sh SYNOPSIS
34.Cd "pseudo-device kttcp"
35.Sh DESCRIPTION
36This driver provides kernel support for testing network
37throughput from the perspective of the kernel.
38It is similar in spirit to the classic ttcp network benchmark
39program, the main difference being that with kttcp, the kernel is
40the source and sink of the data.
41.Pp
42Testing like this is useful for a few reasons:
43.Bl -enum
44.It
45This allows us to know what kind of performance we can
46expect from network applications that run in the kernel
47space, such as the NFS server or the NFS client.
48These applications don't have to move the data to/from userspace,
49and so benchmark programs which run in userspace don't give us an
50accurate model.
51.It
52Since data received is just thrown away, the receiver is very fast.
53This can provide better exercise for the sender at the other end.
54.It
55Since the
56.Nx
57kernel currently uses a run-to-completion
58scheduling model, kttcp provides a benchmark model where
59preemption of the benchmark program is not an issue.
60.El
61.Sh SEE ALSO
62.Pa pkgsrc/benchmarks/kttcp ,
63.Pa pkgsrc/benchmarks/ttcp
64