Introduction

Planning for HP-UX IPQoS Deployment

•Design and create HP-UX IPQoS configuration files (which include defined filters and policies) to achieve your identified goals and actions. HP-UX configuration files use filters to define categories of traffic from packet data fields and use policies to define behaviors to apply to the filters. Policies are assigned to configured adapters as part of the configuration file specifics.

Start with the simplest possible cases and build on successful configurations in small increments toward more complex configurations. Using a process of iteratively building on successful policies can improve your efficiency in implementing HP-UX IPQoS with the least amount of risk and potential rework.

You can use the same or similar HP-UX IPQoS configuration files on multiple machines. Each HP-UX system must have a local configuration file, but you can create one file and copy it to other systems that have the same or similar requirements. You can then make modifications as needed.

•Test HP-UX IPQoS configurations on a test network.

Design representative simulation traffic and test specific HP-UX IPQoS configurations. Analyze and measure the traffic results of the various configurations. Resolve any issues and adjust the configurations as needed. Build up to a complete set of configurations.

To verify the effectiveness of your configurations use two logical sets of tools: one for creating a simulated environment, and one for measuring network activity. Network activity measurements can be segment or device focused, and look at network performance utilization and throughput. Or alternatively, the measurements can focus on application performance, such as response time.

HP recommends that testing be done in an isolated test network with simulated traffic. By using a simulated environment, you can either capture live network traffic and replay it later, or design specific traffic conditions to analyze. A simulated environment requires the ability to play back captured or designed traffic onto the network to see the changes once the test policies are put into effect. For example, use a test tool such as netperf. Information on netperf can be found at http://www.netperf.org.

•When the test network meets all goals, deploy the HP-UX IPQoS configurations in a production environment.

•Measure and analyze the effectiveness of your HP-UX IPQoS configurations, on an ongoing basis. Modify or add HP-UX IPQoS filters and policies to the configurations as needed. As part of the planning process, formulate metrics to measure the effectiveness of your HP-UX IPQoS configurations and your overall QoS solution.

Chapter 1

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