A comparison of TCP automatic tuning techniques for distributed computing

Abstract

Rather than painful, manual, static, per-connection optimization of TCP buffer sizes simply to achieve acceptable performance for distributed applications, many researchers have proposed techniques to perform this tuning automatically. This paper first discusses the relative merits of the various approaches in theory, and then provides substantial experimental data concerning two competing implementations-the buffer autotuning already present in Linux 2.4.x and "dynamic right-sizing." The paper reveals heretofore unknown aspects of the problem and current solutions, provides insight into the proper approach for different circumstances, and points toward ways to further improve performance.