ESnet perfSONAR services

ESnet maintains throughput and latency test hosts at ESnet points of presence (PoPs) as well as near the site network boundary of many Department of Energy facilities. The primary perfSONAR services ESnet provides are throughput testing and delay/loss testing. In addition, ESnet provides test DTNs with test data sets available for download via Globus, and by command-line GridFTP.

Note that while ESnet manages an extensive perfSONAR infrastructure, many other networks and institutions run their own perfSONAR infrastructures as well. This is the power of perfSONAR - network problems can be quickly diagnosed by using the resources the community collectively deploys.

ESnet perfSONAR Host Hardware

ESnet is in the process of upgrading its perfSONAR in 2022. Descriptions of the current and previous hardware configurations are available here. 

ESnet perfSONAR hosts

Current ESnet throughput and owamp servers can be found in the perfSONAR lookup service. Search for 'es.net'.

ESnet perfSONAR limits file

ESnet permits tests to ESnet throughput testers from any ESnet site, and from any scientific or research institution that is connected to the global research and education network infrastructure. This includes US laboratories and universities, as well as research laboratories and universities worldwide. This is accomplished by including the global R&E routing table (the set of IP prefixes accessible via peering with R&E networks) in the /etc/pscheduler/limits.conf file used to control test access to the ESnet throughput test hosts.  Other logical groups of addresses are added to the file from time to time as the needs of the scientific community evolve.  The perfSONAR limits page has more details. Note that UDP testing to ESnet hosts is limited to 100Mbps.

Managing local packet filters

If your site maintains ACLs, follow the list of subnets that ESnet uses.