One-Way Delay Measurement: State of the Art

TLDR

Performance measurement in computer networks is critical, with one‑way delay (OWD) being a key metric whose accurate estimation must account for operating‑system threads and synchronization uncertainties. This paper reviews the various solutions proposed in the literature for measuring OWD. The reviewed solutions use clock synchronization based on NTP, GPS, and IEEE 1588 to achieve reasonable accuracy. The approaches are critically evaluated, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Abstract

Nowadays, the evaluation of performance measurement in computer networks is an important issue. To ensure the quality of service of the network communication, one of the most important network performance parameters is the one-way delay (OWD). For accurate OWD estimation, it is essential to consider some parameters that can influence the measure, such as the operating system and, in particular, the threads, which are concurrent with the measurement application. Moreover, OWD estimation is not an easy task, because it can be affected by synchronization uncertainties. This paper aims to review the different solutions proposed in the scientific literature for OWD measurement. These solutions adopt different methods to guarantee a reasonable clock synchronization based on the Network Time Protocol, the Global Positioning System, and the IEEE 1588 Standard. These different approaches are critically reviewed, showing their advantages and disadvantages.