Single Mode and Automatic Mode

Two modes characterize the operation of rvperfm:

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In single mode, rvperfm sends a single run of messages, governed by its command parameters. At the end of the run, it outputs a report and exits.

You can use single mode as a modeling tool to answer questions about network behavior under sustained load conditions. For example:

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What happens to network performance when an application sends a batch of ten thousand messages without pausing?

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Which computers in my network can send messages the fastest? Which can receive fastest?

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How does introducing a router affect network throughput under normal network load conditions? How do peak loads affect network throughput?

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In automatic mode, rvperfm sends several runs of messages, modifying the parameters for each run until it finds the batch size and interval parameters that yield maximum sustainable network throughput. At the end of each run, it outputs a report. Then it adjusts the parameters and starts the next run.

The overall effect is that rvperfm tunes its send rate to match the maximum receive rate of the slowest rvperfs process. The last report before the process exits displays the parameters that yield the maximum throughput. (In the absence of rvperfs processes, rvperfm determines the maximum send rate that the network can support. Note that the parameter tuning algorithm is the same, only the significance of the result differs.)

You can use the results of testing in automatic mode to tune applications for maximum performance in a specific network configuration.