Skip to main content

FAQ: Test Traffic Measurements

  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What is the purpose of the Test Traffic Measurements service (TTM)?

    TTM's main purpose is to provide standardized metrics for one-way delay and one-way packet loss between measurement devices in a format, which is easily understood by users. One-way measurements are vital, since more and more of Internet routing is becoming asymetrical,

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What are TTM Test Boxes?

    Test Boxes are measurement devices with GPS (Global Positioning System) antennas connected to them for synchronization and increased time accuracy (approx. 100 ns). They generate test-traffic, receive test-traffic and perform trace routes to determine path vectors betwee

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    How does TTM work?

    One-way measurements imply that information for calculating metrics and plotting data will scattered over any two measurement devices. Consequently, central servers at the RIPE NCC must regularly collect the information, make calculations and generate the plots in order

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What is IP Packet Delay Variation (IPDV), also called "jitter"?

    IPDV measures the variation in delay of uni-directional, consecutive packets (packet 1 and 2, 2 and 3 etc.) which flow between between two hosts over an IP path. Low IPDV is especially important for applications requiring timely delivery of packets, e.g. multimedia appl

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What are "valid packets"?

    Valid packets are packets that have good timestamps and can therefore be used for TTM statistics. Bad packets are usally sent during unreliable GPS conditions, meaning that their timestamps are inaccurate. Bad packets are discarded when calculating TTM metrics.

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    Why is it important plotting the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles for delay measurements?

    The 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles represent the one-way delay between two Test Boxes in a best-case and worst-case scenario respectively, just as the median (50th percentile) would indicate a normal value between two measurement points. In many cases, the so-calle

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What does "RMS" mean?

    Physical scientists often use the term "root-mean-square" as a synonym for "standard deviation" when referring to the square root of the mean squared deviation of a signal from a given baseline. In our case, high values could be caused either by frequent path vector

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    How much traffic do Test Boxes generate?

    By default, approximately 300 kB per day to every destination Test Box. The defaults can be changed on series C/D. Defaults per Destination Test Box: Test-Traffic Packet Payload Size: 100 bytes Test-Traffic Packet Tx Rate: 2 packets/min

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    We received and installed our Test Box, but why does it not give a login prompt?

    It occasionally happens that a connector came lose during transport. Please, open the cover of the Test Box ( 4 screws) and press all connectors firmly into their sockets, in particular the flat ribbon cables for the disks and the cards on the motherboard. Also make sur

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    How can the IP address of a Test Box be changed?

    Please send us the new IP address, netmask & default router at least two working days before the renumbering should be effective. TT-ops will notify you when the change has been configured. When your new addressing schema is ready, press the reset button to reboot the machine. After rebooting, ping

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    We changed our filter rules, what should we check?

    Telnet to the box and check if you still see lines starting with RCDP there. Then contact TT-Ops and inform them about the change. The Test Box operators at the NCC should check: RCDP data files continue to collect data Other boxes continue to receive data from this box Operational mai

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    What are "monitoring ranges"?

    Customers can specify ranges of IP addresses which may access the Test Box. In other words, "monitoring ranges" can be defined as a kind of "permit access-list" for allowing source hosts access to the measurement device. TTM operators are naturally included in the

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    Why do I receive alarm messages?

    If the the delay between two Test Boxes changes significantly, then an email will be sent to the operators of those boxes. The alarm uses a "long-term average, short-term average" (LTA-STA) algorithm, which compares certain percentiles and medians for a 30-day interval

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    We received an invoice but something is wrong.

    For technical questions about invoices, such as: We need more information before we can pay, The invoice was sent to the wrong person, There is a mistake in adding up the various amounts, Can you send us a new copy of the invoice, please contact us by email at [email protected]. If you believe t

    Page
  • Analyse / Archived Projects / TTM
    Why did you include VAT on our invoice?

    Even though most customers in the EU are do not have to pay VAT, local regulations force us to charge VAT unless they have provided us with a valid EU VAT number. To avoid being charged VAT at all, please mail us your EU VAT number. If your organization is exempt from VA

    Page