Manual:Tools/Traffic Generator

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Version.png

Applies to RouterOS: v5 +

Summary

Traffic Generator is a tool that allows to generate and send RAW packets over specific ports. Tool also collects latency and jitter values, tx/rx rates, it also counts lost packets and detects Out-of-Order packets. Traffic Generator can be used similar to bandwidth test tool as well as generate packets that will be routed back to packet generator for advanced status collection.

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General

Sub-menu /tool traffic-generator


This menu allows to set general traffic generator properties and contains commands to quickly start and stop the tool.


Properties

Property Description
latency-distribution-scale (integer [0..28]; Default: 10)
test-id (integer [0..255]; Default: 0)


Read-Only Properties

Property Description
latency-distribution-samples (integer)
latency-distribution-measure-interval (time)
running (yes | no) Shows whether traffic generator tool is started.


Commands

Property Description
quick () This command allows to quickly start packet generator and print the stats output to the terminal. Command also accept several parameters that overrides settings in packet template and stream settings. Accepted parameters are duration, entries-to-show, freeze-frame-interval, mbps, num, packet-size, port, pps, stream, test-id, tx-template
  • duration - how long to run the test
  • entries-to-show - how many status lines print to the terminal
  • freeze-frame-interval - how often to update status to the terminal

The rest of the parameters are not command specific and are described elsewhere.

Parameters specified when running quick command overrides configured values. In case if parameter is specified only for one header then value is multiplied for all the other headers (if required).
start () Commands starts the traffic generator tool in the background. It accepts one parameter test-id
stop () Command stops the started traffic generator tool by start command.

Packet Template

Sub-menu /tool traffic-generator packet-template


This sub menu allows to build packet based on provided parameters. Based on parameters you can build ip packet with vlan tags and set udp ports. Raw packet template is generated based on provided parameters.

If you require more low level packet or take full advantage of traffic generator, then please use raw-packet-template builder to build the packet.


If same type of header is present in packet more than once then header field values are passed as comma separated list. (For example if there are two ip headers then source addresses are given like "ip-src=1.1.1.1,2.2.2.2").


For quicker header construction many of the header field values are assumed. For example if header stack is "mac,ip" then traffic generator can assume that mac-protocol value is "ip". Or if "port" or "interface" setting is specified traffic generator can assume "mac-src" to be MAC address of interface). Assumed values have distinct names that start with "assumed-" and are read only. Manually specified values override assumed ones.

Icon-note.png

Note: Assumed values are not automatically updated. New values are assumed after template edit. "packet-template set 0" is enough to trigger new assumed values



Properties

Property Description
comment (string; Default: ) Short description of packet you are building.
data (incrementing | random | specific-byte | uninitialized; Default: uninitialized) Specifies how packet payload will be filled:
  • uninitialized - packets data (after header) is uninitialized, but not zero. Fastest.
  • specific-byte - works together with setting data-byte
  • incrementing - packets data filled with "00 01 02 03" and so on
  • random - packets data filled with random bytes. Slowest.
data-byte (hex [0..FF]]; Default: 0) Byte that will be used to fill packet payload.
interface (string; Default: ) Optional parameter of packet template. This is mutually exclusive with "port" setting. Specifying "interface" allows user not to create a port entry for interface in port menu. In fact a port entry is created dynamically. This is useful for running quick tests.
ip-dscp (list of integer[0..255] (max 16 times); Default: ) Single DSCP or list of DSCP values that will be set in IP header
ip-dst (list of IP/Netmask (max 16 times); Default: ) List of destination IP addresses that will be used when generating IP headers.
ip-frag-off (list of integer[0..65535] (max 16 times); Default: ) List of fragmentation offsets in IP header.
ip-gateway (IP; Default: ) In situations when sender and receiver is the same device, it is impossible to determine nexthop automatically from ip-dst. If ip-gateway is specified packet template will assume destination mac address based on resolved ip-gateway.
ip-id (list of integer [0..65535]; Default: )
ip-protocol (list of IP protocols (max 16 times); Default: )
ip-src (list of IP/Mask (max 16 times); Default: )
ip-ttl (list of integer [0..255] (max 16 times); Default: )
mac-dst (list of MAC/MASK (max 16 times); Default: )
mac-protocol (list of mac protocols (max 16 times); Default: )
mac-src (list of MAC/MASK (max 16 times); Default: )
name (string; Default: ) Descriptive name of the template.
port (string; Default: ) Optional parameter of packet template. This suggests a port through which packets generated using this template should be sent out. Port can also be specified in other places such as in stream settings. This is mutually exclusive with interface setting.
raw-header (string (max 16 times); Default: ) Raw packet header as string in hexadecimal format.
udp-dst-port (list of port [0..65535]/mask [0..FFFF] (max 16 times); Default: )
udp-src-port (list of port [0..65535]/mask [0..FFFF] (max 16 times); Default: )
vlan-id (; Default: )
vlan-priority (; Default: )
vlan-protocol (; Default: )
header-stack (list of ip | mac | raw | udp | vlan (max 16 times); Default: ip) Sequence of headers that a generated packet should have.

Currently supports:

  • mac - Ethernet header (14 bytes)
  • vlan - Ethernet VLAN tag (4 bytes)
  • ip - IPv4 header (20 bytes)
  • udp - UDP header (8 bytes)
  • raw - arbitrary bytes specified as hex string


Most header types can be present in header multiple times. There can be only 2 ip headers and 1 udp header per packet. Some limitations are imposed on possible sequences of headers based on our practical experience with network protocols (for example vlan header can follow only a mac header or other vlan header).

Traffic generator suggests first header for a packet template (in port menu). But it is not enforced.

Port Configuration

Sub-menu /tool packet-generator port


This menu allows to configure ports that will be associated to specific interface and will be used to receive/send generated packets.


Properties

Property Description
disabled (yes | no; Default: no) Whether port is disabled and does not participate in receiving/sending of the packets
name (string; Default: ) Descriptive name of the port
interface (string; Default: ) Name of the interface associated with the port.


Read-Only Properties

Property Description
dynamic (yes | no) Whether port configuration is generated automatically.
first-header (ip | mac | raw | udp | vlan) Shows suggested first header for packets to be sent out of specified interface. This is information can be used when creating packet templates.
inactive (yes | no) Whether port is inactive and can't participate in tx/rx of the packets.

Stats

Sub-menu /tool traffic-generator stats


Properties

Property Description
(; Default: )


Streams

Properties

Property Description
disabled (yes | no; Default: no) Whether stream is disabled
mbps (integer [0..4294967295]; Default: 0) Value in Mega bits per second that stream will try to generate.
name (string; Default: ) Descriptive name of the stream.
num (integer [0..15]; Default: 0)
packet-size (integer[1..65535] [-integer[1..65535]]; Default: 0) Generated size of the packets in bytes. Can be set as the range for random packet size generation.
port (string; Default: ) Name of the port from Port menu that will be used to transmit packets.
pps (integer [0..4294967295]; Default: 0) Packets per second that stream will try to generate.
tx-template (string; Default: ) Name of the packet template from packet-template or raw-packet-template menus used as the packet content source.

Configuration Examples

IpSec tunnel performance test

Consider following test setup

Traffic-gen-routing-ipsec.png

System Under Test (SUT) consists of two routers connected to traffic generator server. Connection between both SUT routers are IPSec encrypted.

Traffic generator will run two streams:

  • in direction from 1.1.1.0/24 network to 2.2.2.0/24 network
  • in direction from 2.2.2.0/24 network to 1.1.1.0/24 network.


R1 routing and ipsec setup

/ip address
add address=192.168.33.1/30 interface=ether1
add address=1.1.1.2/24 interface=ether2

/ip route 
add dst-address=2.2.2.0/24 gateway=192.168.33.2

/ip ipsec proposal
set default enc-algorithms=aes-128

/ip ipsec peer
add address=192.168.33.2 secret=123

/ip ipsec policy
add sa-src-address=192.168.33.1 sa-dst-address=192.168.33.2 \
    src-address=1.1.1.0/24 dst-address=2.2.2.0/24 tunnel=yes

R2 routing and ipsec setup

/ip address
add address=192.168.33.2/30 interface=ether1
add address=2.2.2.2/24 interface=ether2

/ip route 
add dst-address=1.1.1.0/24 gateway=192.168.33.1

/ip ipsec proposal
set default enc-algorithms=aes-128

/ip ipsec peer
add address=192.168.33.1 secret=123

/ip ipsec policy
add sa-src-address=192.168.33.2 sa-dst-address=192.168.33.1 \
    src-address=2.2.2.0/24 dst-address=1.1.1.0/24 tunnel=yes


Traffig generator server setup

/ip address
add address=1.1.1.1/24 interface=ether2
add address=2.2.2.1/24 interface=ether3


First we will define which ports will be used as traffic generator tx/rx ports

/tool traffic-generator port
add disabled=no interface=ether2 name=port0
add disabled=no interface=ether3 name=port1


To construct actual packet that will be generated packet-template is used.

/tool traffic-generator packet-template
add header-stack=mac,ip,udp ip-dst=2.2.2.1/32 ip-gateway=1.1.1.2 ip-src=1.1.1.1/32 \
    name=routing-1 port=port0
add header-stack=mac,ip,udp ip-dst=1.1.1.1/25 ip-gateway=2.2.2.2 ip-src=2.2.2.1/32 \
    name=routing-2 port=port1

Notice that mac addresses was not specified since template generator can assume next-hop mac address automatically by sending ARP messages. Since we are doing routing and destination IP is not directly reachable, we set up ip-gateway parameter do determine next-hop mac-address.

When doing print you can see all assumed (detected) values including mac addresses.

[admin@test-host] /tool traffic-generator packet-template> print 
 0 name="routing-1" header-stack=mac,ip,udp port=port0 
   assumed-mac-dst=00:0C:42:00:38:9D assumed-mac-src=00:0C:42:40:94:25 
   assumed-mac-protocol=ip assumed-ip-dscp=0 assumed-ip-id=0 
   assumed-ip-frag-off=0 assumed-ip-ttl=64 assumed-ip-protocol=udp 
   ip-src=1.1.1.1/32 ip-dst=2.2.2.1/32 assumed-udp-src-port=100 
   assumed-udp-dst-port=200 ip-gateway=1.1.1.2 data=uninitialized data-byte=0 

 1 name="routing-2" header-stack=mac,ip,udp port=port1 
   assumed-mac-dst=00:0C:42:00:38:D1 assumed-mac-src=00:0C:42:40:94:26 
   assumed-mac-protocol=ip assumed-ip-dscp=0 assumed-ip-id=0 
   assumed-ip-frag-off=0 assumed-ip-ttl=64 assumed-ip-protocol=udp 
   ip-src=2.2.2.1/32 ip-dst=1.1.1.1/32 assumed-udp-src-port=100 
   assumed-udp-dst-port=200 ip-gateway=2.2.2.2 data=uninitialized data-byte=0

For example if routers in SUT change, assumed mac-addresses will not be updated automatically. To update packet templates simply issue command :

/tool traffic-generator packet-template set [find]


Last part is to configure streams

/tool traffic-generator stream
add disabled=no mbps=500 name=str1 num=3 packet-size=1450 port=port0 pps=0 \
    tx-template=routing-1
add disabled=no mbps=500 name=str3 num=4 packet-size=1450 port=port1 pps=0 \
    tx-template=routing-2

Notice that each stream has unique num value. This value identifies stream packets, otherwise traffic generator will not work.


Now we are ready to run the test. In this case quick mode will be used:

[admin@test-host] /tool traffic-generator> quick mbps=450
SEQ    NUM     TX-PACKET   TX-RATE     RX-PACKET   RX-RATE        RX-OOO   LOST-PACKET LOST-RATE 
37     4          39 488 458.0Mbps        39 270 455.5Mbps        15 509           218   2.5Mbps 
37     TOT        78 976 916.1Mbps        76 485 887.2Mbps        22 529         2 491  28.8Mbps 
38     3          38 957 451.9Mbps        37 657 436.8Mbps         7 078         1 300  15.0Mbps 
38     4          38 958 451.9Mbps        38 402 445.4Mbps        14 763           556   6.4Mbps 
38     TOT        77 915 903.8Mbps        76 059 882.2Mbps        21 841         1 856  21.5Mbps 
39     3          38 816 450.2Mbps        37 893 439.5Mbps         7 307           923  10.7Mbps 
39     4          38 815 450.2Mbps        38 642 448.2Mbps        15 110           173   2.0Mbps 
39     TOT        77 631 900.5Mbps        76 535 887.8Mbps        22 417         1 096  12.7Mbps 
40     3          39 779 461.4Mbps        37 415 434.0Mbps         7 136         2 364  27.4Mbps 
40     4          39 780 461.4Mbps        39 567 458.9Mbps        15 908           213   2.4Mbps 
40     TOT        79 559 922.8Mbps        76 982 892.9Mbps        23 044         2 577  29.8Mbps 
41     3          39 218 454.9Mbps        37 089 430.2Mbps         7 075         2 129  24.6Mbps 
41     4          39 218 454.9Mbps        38 663 448.4Mbps        15 752           555   6.4Mbps 
41     TOT        78 436 909.8Mbps        75 752 878.7Mbps        22 827         2 684  31.1Mbps 
42     3          39 188 454.5Mbps        37 906 439.7Mbps         6 729         1 282  14.8Mbps 
42     4          39 187 454.5Mbps        38 954 451.8Mbps        15 565           233   2.7Mbps 
42     TOT        78 375 909.1Mbps        76 860 891.5Mbps        22 294         1 515  17.5Mbps 
TOT    3       1 645 468 454.4Mbps     1 568 201 433.1Mbps       280 174        77 267  21.3Mbps 
TOT    4       1 645 464 454.4Mbps     1 626 896 449.3Mbps       627 480        18 568   5.1Mbps 
TOT    TOT     3 290 932 908.9Mbps     3 195 097 882.4Mbps       907 654        95 835  26.4Mbps

Stats shows throughput of each stream and total throughput of both streams, Out-of-order packet count, Lost rate, latency and jitter.


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