What is RFC2544? TYTEC AB's Shift from RFC2544 to ITU-T Y.1564 for Comprehensive Ethernet Service Evaluation

RFC2544 is just one of many testing schemes that TYTEC AB uses to help our telecom and fiberoptic network owning customers analyse their networks At TYTEC, we are committed to employing the most robust and appropriate testing methodologies. Historically, RFC2544 has been a cornerstone in our testing regime. However, with the revelations from RFC 6815 titled "Applicability Statement for RFC 2544: Use on Production Networks Considered Harmful" published in November 2012 by the IETF, it's become clear that RFC 2544, while robust for benchmarking network elements in isolated test environments, may have detrimental effects when applied to production networks. It is a good test, but not always what we reccomend for our customers. Here is some of the backstory on why, and what we are now recommending.

The Reevaluation Triggered by RFC 6815

November, 2012, RFC 6815 served as a wake-up call within the industry, shedding light on the potential adverse effects of utilizing RFC 2544 methodologies in live production networks. The document clarified that the traffic generated for testing as per RFC 2544 could overload network device resources, which in turn could be harmful to user traffic performance on a production network. This critical insight propelled the industry, and us at TYTEC AB, to explore alternative testing methodologies better suited for real-world network environments.

The Inadequacy of RFC 2544 for Multiservice Testing Initially, the IETF RFC 2544 standard, titled “Benchmarking Methodology for Network Interconnect Devices,” was a staple for testing network equipment in lab environments. However, as Carrier Ethernet emerged, the once revered RFC 2544 was repurposed for testing Ethernet transport services, revealing its inadequacy for this new use case. RFC 2544, designed to measure the maximum performance of a Device Under Test (DUT) or Network Under Test (NUT) through a single stream, proved insufficient for multiservice testing, which is vital in today’s multi-faceted networking landscape.

Embracing ITU-T Y.1564 for Enhanced Network Testing

In the quest for a more holistic and realistic testing protocol, we have generally moved on to ITU-T Y.1564. Unlike RFC 2544, Y.1564 is tailored for Ethernet service activation based on the service attributes used by service providers to define their SLAs. It’s especially efficient in validating crucial performance metrics such as frame loss, latency, and the committed information rate (CIR), offering a simplified, accurate, and significantly reduced test time.

Our transition to Y.1564-based testing methodology at TYTEC AB is part of our attempt to align testing procedures with real-world network operation conditions. This shift has not only streamlined our testing processes but also significantly enhanced the accuracy and relevancy of the insights we provide to our customers, ensuring their networks are not just robust but also ready for rapid service deployment.

What is the right test for your network?

There is nothing totally wrong with RFC2544, it just may not be the most realistic of tests. Many companies and orgs have it as a requirement for network turn-ups, but few actually know the reasons why. The transition from RFC 2544 to ITU-T Y.1564