ISR Computing -

How to measure file transfer performance using iperf tool

Process overview

First, install iperf on your Oracle server (we are running RHEL 4):

 [root@test ~]# yum install iperf
Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit
updates/metalink                                         |  13 kB     00:00
updates                                                  | 4.4 kB     00:00
updates/primary_db                                       | 4.1 MB     00:00
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package iperf.i686 0:2.0.4-4.fc12 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
 Package         Arch           Version                 Repository         Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 iperf           i686           2.0.4-4.fc12            updates            48 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install       1 Package(s)
Upgrade       0 Package(s)

Total download size: 48 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Setting up and reading Presto delta metadata
updates/prestodelta                                      | 753 kB     00:00
Processing delta metadata
Package(s) data still to download: 48 k
iperf-2.0.4-4.fc12.i686.rpm                              |  48 kB     00:00 ...
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Installing     : iperf-2.0.4-4.fc12.i686                                  1/1

Installed:
  iperf.i686 0:2.0.4-4.fc12

Complete!
[root@test ~]# 

Start listening on port tcp/1521 (Emulating Oracle Database server):

[root@test ~]# iperf -s -p 1521
------------------------------------------------------------
Server listening on TCP port 1521
TCP window size: 85.3 KByte (default)
------------------------------------------------------------ 

On the client machine start iperf transfer, by connecting to the server 10.1.1.1:

C:\Documents and Settings\testuser\Desktop>iperf.exe -c 10.1.1.1 -p 1521
------------------------------------------------------------
Client connecting to 10.1.1.1, TCP port 1521
TCP window size: 63.0 KByte (default)
------------------------------------------------------------
[1912] local 10.135.70.132 port 3428 connected with 10.1.1.1 port 1521
[ ID] Interval       Transfer     Bandwidth
[1912]  0.0-10.0 sec   113 MBytes  94.6 Mbits/sec

C:\Documents and Settings\testuser\Desktop>

iperf has some other good command option that maybe helpful in your network troubleshooting.

Custom compiled iperf

mkdir -p /opt/src/iperf
cd /opt/src/iperf
tar xvzf iperf-2.0.5.tar.gz
mv iperf-2.0.5 2.0.5
cd 2.0.5
./configure --prefix=/opt/src/iperf/prod \
--bindir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/bin \
--sbindir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/sbin \
--libexec=/opt/src/iperf/prod/libexec \
--datadir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/share \
--sysconfdir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/etc \
--libdir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/lib \
--includedir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/include \
--mandir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/man \
--infodir=/opt/src/iperf/prod/info

make
make install
make clean