DHCP load test tool

This tool is available for 64-bit CentOS 5 and CentOS 6. The RPM version can be installed using the following command.

rpm -ivh dhcpperf-<version numbers>.rpm

This will unpack the following files.

/usr/bin/dhcpperf
/usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf/expand.dat
/usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf/discover.dat
/usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf/release.dat
/usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf/request.dat

• -h --help
  Displays the help message
  
• --usage
  Displays a simple help message
  
• -v --progress
  Displays statistical information, updated every second
  
• -s --server server IP address [, server IP address ...]
  Specifies the DHCP server's IP address. Testing is performed using a broadcast address if no DHCP server IP address is specified.
  
• --test-duration time
  Specifies the measurement time (in seconds). The default value is 120 seconds.
  
• --hardware XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
  Specifies the MAC addresses to use for requests.
  
• --hardware-length number
  Specified the length of MAC address to for use requests. number increase incrementally from this value. When the last three bytes reach their maximum value, the last three bytes only are returned to 0.
  
• --clients number
  Specifies the initial number of simultaneous requests per second.
  
• --limit number
  Specifies the number of upper limit of clients.
  
• --timeout time
  Specifies the amount of time considered to be a DHCP packet timeout. The default value is 3 seconds.
  
• --cooldown-time time
  Specifies the cooldown time between completing one measurement and beginning the next measurement. The default value is 5 seconds.
  
• --error-threshold threshold value
  Specifies the failure ratio which is treated as an error (=number of failures ÷ number of successes x 100). The default value is 0.1%.
  (when set to 0.1, one error for every 1,000 successes is not considered an error)
  
• --recv-port port number
  Specifies the number of the port on which to receive DHCP packets. When not specified, the default value for client measurement is port number 68, and the default value for relay measurement is port number 67.
  
• --send-port port number
  Specifies the number of the port to which to send DHCP packets. The default value is port number 67.
  
• --nthreads number of thread pools
  Specifies the number of thread pools the program can use. This number can be matched to the number of cores to improve processing efficiency.
  
• --disable-promiscuous
  Don't use promiscuous mode to communicate.
  
• --test-mode [mode]
  highload: Measures at the highest speed, gradually stepping down.
  slowly: Gradually steps up the load.
  endless: Applies a constant load without stopping.
  once: Performs processing one time.
  
• --log-file file name
  Specifies the name of the saved debug log file.
  (* Please note that log rotation is not performed, so log files can become extremely large.)
  
• --exec-file file name
  Specifies the script file of the execute before test runnning.
  

The following string can be used for the DHCP message name.
*Not case sensitive

• DHCPDISCOVER
  Sends DHCPDISCOVER messages. Normally, for clients, Broadcast = 1 is specified, and for relays, Giaddr = <DHCP server address> is specified.
  
• DHCPREQUEST
  Sends DHCPREQUEST messages.
  
• DHCPRELEASE
  Sends DHCPRELEASE messages.
  
• DHCPDECLINE
  Sends DHCPDECLINE messages.
  
• DHCPINFORM
  Sends DHCPINFORM messages.
  

The variant can be entered in the form of a string, IP address list, decimal value, or hexadecimal value.

• Strings is indicated by putting them in double-quotes.
  Ex.: "dhcpperf"
  
• IP address lists is indicated by entring them in IPaddress form, such as 192.168.100.1, separated with commas.
  Ex.: 192.168.0.100, 192.168.0.101, 192.168.0.102
  
• Decimal values are indicated by entering values between 0 and 255, separated by commas.
  Ex.: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
  
• Hexadecimal values are indicated by entering two-digit values between 00 and FF, separated by colons.
  Ex.: 00:01:02:03
  

When performing testing via a relay agent, the IP address of the tool must be specified for Giaddr, and the DHCP server IP address must be specified for Option 54. If @auto is specified for Broadcast, Giaddr, and Option 54, the IP address specified in the -server command line argument or the IP address set as the <device name> will be automatically used.

Below is an example of the structure of a file that defines scenario data for a "5 way hand-shake" relay test.

• discover.dat
  

Hops=0
Secs=0
Broadcast=@auto
Ciaddr=0.0.0.0
Yiaddr=0.0.0.0
Siaddr=0.0.0.0
Giaddr=@auto
Chaddr=@auto
Sname=""
File=""
12="dhcpperf"
53=DHCPDISCOVER
54=@auto
55=1,3,6,15,119,95,252,44,46,47,5,197,43,69,42,201,202
61=@auto
82=01:04:20:00:00:1e:02:06:70:58:12:35:13:33

• request.dat
  

Hops=0
Secs=0
Broadcast=@auto
Ciaddr=0.0.0.0
Yiaddr=0.0.0.0
Siaddr=0.0.0.0
Giaddr=@auto
Chaddr=@auto
Sname=""
File=""
12="dhcpperf"
50=@auto
53=DHCPREQUEST
54=@auto
55=1,3,6,15,119,95,252,44,46,47,5,197,43,69,42,201,202
61=@auto
82=01:04:20:00:00:1e:02:06:70:58:12:35:13:33

• release.dat
  

Hops=0
Secs=0
Broadcast=@auto
Ciaddr=@auto
Yiaddr=0.0.0.0
Siaddr=0.0.0.0
Giaddr=@auto
Chaddr=@auto
Sname=""
File=""
12="dhcpperf"
50=@auto
53=DHCPRELEASE
54=@auto
55=1,3,6,15,119,95,252,44,46,47,5,197,43,69,42,201,202
61=@auto
82=01:04:20:00:00:1e:02:06:70:58:12:35:13:33

./dhcpperf -v -s <DHCP server IP address> <device name> ./discover.dat ./request.dat ./release.dat

If different Broadcast parameters are set for client and relay testing, and @auto is specified for the Giaddr parameter, the tester can be switched between client operation or relay operation based on whether the -server command line argument has been specified.

*General purpose scenario data is stored in usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf. Testing can be easily performed by editing scenario data files and adding options.

Running the tester with the -v or -progress command line arguments displays statistical information on the standard output device, updated every second.
The following information is output.

• secs
  Amount of seconds the program has been running.
  
• success
  Total number of transaction successes.
  
• failure
  Number of NAK responses or timeouts.
  
• active
  Number of transactions in-progress or awaiting responses.
  
• minimum
  Minimum number of transactions per second.
  
• current
  Number of transactions per second.
  
• maximum
  Maximum number of transactions per second.
  
• average
  Average time from start to end of each transaction. Measured in milliseconds.
  
• slowest
  Maximum time from start to end of a transaction. Measured in milliseconds.
  
• fastest
  Minimum time from start to end of a transaction. Measured in milliseconds.
  

Lease renewal, even when performed via a relay.
Testing sample data which includes lease renewal is contained in /usr/share/ncad/dhcpperf/expand.dat, and can be used by using the following command.

./dhcpperf -v -s <DHCP server IP address> <device name> discover.dat request.dat expand.dat release.dat