Variability in TCP round-trip times

We measured and analyzed the variability in round trip times (RTTs) within TCP connections using passive measurement techniques. We collected eight hours of bidirectional traces containing over ¢£¢ million TCP connections between end-points at a large university campus and almost ¤ million remote locations. Of these, we used over ¤ million TCP connections that yield ¤¦¥ or more valid RTT samples, to examine RTT variability within a TCP connection. Our results indicate that contrary to observations in several previous studies, RTT values within a connection vary widely. Our results have implications for designing better simulation models, and understanding how round trip times affect the dynamic behavior and throughput of TCP connections. Categories and Subject Descriptors C.4 [Computer Systems Organization]: Performance of Systems – measurement techniques, performance attributes General Terms Measurement Keywords TCP Round-trip Times

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: IMC
• Authors: Jay Aikat, Jasleen Kaur, F. Donelson Smith, Kevin Jeffay
• Keywords: IMC 2003, Measurement Techniques, TCP Connections, Trip Times