Measuring latency from the browser
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Measuring latency from the browser, by Agustin Formoso. A presentation given at the APNIC 40 Lightning Talks session on Tue, 8 Sep 2015.
![@proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net
Normalising results
Windows
7
Windows
8.1
OS X
Windows
XP
Windows
8
Chrome
family
0 +1.9 -7.2 -1.4 +0.1
Firefox
family
-3.9 -2.8 -11.4 -4.8 -5.6
Our reference environment[Results are in ms]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/measuringlatencyfromthebrowser1441638867-150908232902-lva1-app6892/85/Measuring-latency-from-the-browser-7-320.jpg)
![@proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net
Normalising results
• Two distinct behaviours
- Firefox vs. Chrome
- OS X versus the rest
[Lighter blue means faster]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/measuringlatencyfromthebrowser1441638867-150908232902-lva1-app6892/85/Measuring-latency-from-the-browser-8-320.jpg)
![@proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net
LAC regional matrix
[Lighter blue means faster]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/measuringlatencyfromthebrowser1441638867-150908232902-lva1-app6892/85/Measuring-latency-from-the-browser-9-320.jpg)
Measuring latency from the browser
- 1. Measuring latency from the browser Agustín Formoso agustin@lacnic.net LACNIC Labs simon.lacnic.net
- 2. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net The project The problem • Connectivity in LAC is good but not optimal • Presence of IXPs, but inter- country connectivity still has to be improved • Information about connectivity is not easy to find or updated The solution • Objective Provide representative and up-to-date connectivity measurements to anyone interested in them • How Latency measurements from many origins, to many destinations, via different protocols
- 3. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Why bother with the browser? Pros • Standard and widely-used technologies • Ran at the end user • Can trigger measurements automatically • Scales fast Cons • Browser and operating system combination differences - TCP connections are handled differently by browser and OS combination! - Browser Javascript engines vary - OSes handle processes differently • Need of normalising different environments!
- 4. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Why bother with the browser?
- 5. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Testing our tool in Browserstack • Cloud-based testing service aimed at web developers to check the look & feel and responsiveness of their sites • We use it to run our Javascript tool over many different OS and browser combination • We used automated Selenium tests
- 6. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net The test: Javascript tool • Ran in the virtual instance • Fixed origin, fixed destination • Simple HTTP GET • Time the RTT • Parallel sessions with a reference environment always present
- 7. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Normalising results Windows 7 Windows 8.1 OS X Windows XP Windows 8 Chrome family 0 +1.9 -7.2 -1.4 +0.1 Firefox family -3.9 -2.8 -11.4 -4.8 -5.6 Our reference environment[Results are in ms]
- 8. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Normalising results • Two distinct behaviours - Firefox vs. Chrome - OS X versus the rest [Lighter blue means faster]
- 9. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net LAC regional matrix [Lighter blue means faster]
- 10. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Still… • We need more tests! (currently at ~1.5K daily) • Uncertainties on virtualisation • No mobile or Linux yet (~8% of seen traffic)
- 11. @proyectosimonhttp://simon.lacnic.net Conclusions • The browser: great tool for delivering large-scale measurements but - Huge variety - Measurement noise can be high
- 12. Thank you! Q&A