NSDI '08 – Abstract
Pp. 205–218 of the Proceedings
Uncovering Performance Differences Among Backbone ISPs with Netdiff
Ratul Mahajan and Ming Zhang, Microsoft Research; Lindsey Poole and Vivek Pai, Princeton University
Abstract
We design and implement Netdiff, a system
that enables detailed performance comparisons among
ISP networks. It helps customers and applications determine,
for instance, which ISP offers the best performance
for their specific workload. Netdiff is easy to deploy
because it requires only a modest number of nodes
and does not require active cooperation from ISPs. Realizing
such a system, however, is challenging as we must
aggressively reduce probing cost and ensure that the results
are robust to measurement noise. We describe the
techniques that Netdiff uses to address these challenges.
Netdiff has been measuring eighteen backbone ISPs
since February 2007. Its techniques allow it to capture
an accurate view of an ISP's performance in terms of latency
within fifteen minutes. Using Netdiff, we find that
the relative performance of ISPs depends on many factors,
including the geographic properties of traffic and the
popularity of destinations. Thus, the detailed comparison
that Netdiff provides is important for identifying ISPs that
perform well for a given workload.
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