Print versionPerformance
A test facility or rig was assembled and a test was run with just the test rig itself and the results averaged to ensure that the performance results were consistent. This provided a baseline of performance for the test rig. Once the baseline was recorded, the filtering application/appliance was connected in-line with the server to filter all traffic transparently. The test routine was then run again to show the filtered results. Once the results were recorded and checked for consistency the filter was removed from the network and the server re-tested to ensure that the baseline test results were consistent. This test was repeated with each filter selected for the test.
This performance testing revealed that there was a significant reduction in performance between filters enabled and disabled with network performance reduced by 18% on the best performing filter when not enabled and enabled. The level of performance degradation ranged from 18% through to 78%.
The results show that a fast filter can filter and process data at approximately 80Mbps, smaller ISP’s with 1000 to 5000 users would most likely have an upstream data connection of no more than 20Mbps, therefore if a filter is used in this situation there is still enough performance to ensure that the filter will not create any bottlenecks. However, ISPs operating with faster Internet connections (ATM 155Mbps) would find their choices in content filters severely reduced if they wished to filter all traffic at this speed. It would then be advisable to move the content filtering out to the edge of their networks where slower upstream speeds exist.
In summary the performance testing results show:
- A significant reduction in network performance when accessing the Internet through a content filter,
- Network performance was reduced by 18% on the best performing filter when not enabled and enabled,
- The level of performance degradation ranged from 18% through to 78%.
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