Passive End-to-End Packet Loss Estimation for Grid Traffic Monitoring

Accurate network monitoring is vital for the operation of Grids. The packet loss ratio is among the most important metrics for identifying poor network conditions, since it highly affects data throughput performance and the overall end-to-end data transfer quality. In this paper, we present a scalable and non-intrusive technique based on passive network monitoring for estimating the packet loss ratio between different measurement points. The proposed approach is complementary to current active monitoring techniques and can be easily incorporated into the network monitoring components of Grid systems. We describe the design and implementation of the technique, outline its integration within a Grid environment, and present experimental evaluation results, including measurements with real Grid application traffic.