The following represents data and results gathered from the second research institution connection cloud transfer test and compares results from Azure’s US North Central data center and Azure’s US South Central data center. The methodology applied during this test is detailed here and should be reviewed prior to considering the results or commentary below.

Test Overview:

• 05561 Cloud Transfer Tests: Research Institution Test 02
• Local Connection: Research Networks
• Started: February 9, 2010
• Finished: February 16, 2010
• Origination Point: Oak Ridge, TN

Disclaimer:

• Standard Disclaimer Applies

Test Objectives:

• Standard objectives apply
• Specific to this test: Test a research institution connection as the researcher’s “workstation” and gather data aimed at building a realistic expectation of performance

Test Setup

• Included File Sizes:
  • 2KB, 32KB, 64KB, 128KB, 256KB, 512KB, 1MB, 5MB, 10MB, 25MB, 50MB, 100MB, 250MB, 500MB, 750MB, 1GB
• Network Connectivity - “research institution”
  • Consists of a computer connected to a local network router via 100Mbps hard-wire.
  • Multiple switches/routers/firewalls may exist between workstation and the public internet
  • There may exist multiple high-speed networks that may be leveraged for connectivity to remote datacenters (ESNet, I2, NLR
  • Reasonable effort has been made to ensure that no other applications or TSRs are running on the source computer for the duration of the test.
  • For this test, a newly-installed Windows 7 Professional installation was used, fully patched, with no other applications (beyond the test harness) installed.

Test Execution:

• Standard execution approach applied with the exception of the fact that Azure was tested for both cases – simply different datacenters (see slides for details)

Report Generation

• Standard report generation approach applied

Conventions:

• Standard conventions apply

Resources:

• Standard resources apply - no test-specific customizations beyond adaptations for the specific file sizes included in the test

Results:

Similar to other tests, there is some variability displayed that is obviously a result of traffic issues. We are continuing to look into this.

In general, the data from the Azure US North Central data center proved better than that of US South Central which is not altogether surprising as we are physically closer to the USNC location.

Slides 171 and 172 remain disturbing as the download values for the 750MB file size continue to be outside of what would be expected.

Slide 172 in particular is of interest as it draws attention to some wide variability across file sizes for the USSC datacenter (not just the 750MB size).

Full results are available in slide form here:

PDF of results are available here: http://sciencecloud.us/media/05561_Xfer-Research_02.pdf