Performance Analysis of Ethernet Networks Through Quality of Service (QoS) Metrics Using Real and Virtual Machines

Abstract

Quality of Service (QoS) encompasses technologies used in computer networks to ensure reliable application performance. Consequently, the main QoS performance metrics are throughput, delay, jitter, and packet loss rate. One problem regarding networks is finding an ideal environment that guarantees the minimum QoS requirements, especially in home office. Therefore, this work analyzed the performance of a computer network in two contexts, with and without virtual machines. Thus, Iperf3 was used to generate traffic in two ways: originating from an Iperf3 client on a real machine; and originating from an Iperf3 client installed on a virtualized OS. The tests used UDP connections to two Iperf3 servers: local (LAN) and remote (WAN). The goal of this was to differentiate services that require high throughput from those that require minimal delay. The QoS metrics were throughput, delay, jitter, and packet loss rate. The results highlighted the importance of minimizing packet loss to ensure efficient communication, especially in services such as e-mail delivery and file transfer.