A master/slave monitor measurement technique for an operating ethernet network

Measuring performance is a critical area in the study of computer systems. As systems have evolved over the years, various techniques to characterize their behavior have been developed. Meaningful performance parameters and appropriate techniques to derive them depend on the particular computer system under investigation. This article describes a performance measurement technique that is applicable to CSMA/CD-based local area networks, such as the Ethernet. As local area networks become more widely and diversely used, it becomes more important to make accurate and meaningful measurements. These measurements need to describe the existing operating parameters of the network and may also facilitate the study of distributed processing systems in general.