
              NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT

TITLE:              MPRPER.EXE; MPR Performance
DOCUMENT ID:        TID250361
DOCUMENT REVISION:  A
DATE:               23SEP94
ALERT STATUS:       White
INFORMATION TYPE:   Issue
README FOR:         MPRPER.EXE

NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION:
NetWare MultiProtocol Router 2.0
NetWare MultiProtocol Router 2.1
NetWare MultiProtocol Router 2.11
NetWare MultiProtocol Router PLUS 2.1
NetWare MultiProtocol Router PLUS 2.11

ABSTRACT:

MPRPER.EXE contains a document which provides guidelines for configuring
router hardware and software for optimal performance.  Discusses the factors
that affect performance, provides a method of categorizing a router based on
the function it performs in a network.  The definition of each category
includes a description of the required PCs and NICs.  Once you determine the
general hardware requirements, you can select interface boards using the
information provided.

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DISCLAIMER
THE ORIGIN OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TO NOVELL.  NOVELL
MAKES EVERY EFFORT WITHIN ITS MEANS TO VERIFY THIS INFORMATION.  HOWEVER, THE
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY.  NOVELL
MAKES NO EXPLICIT OR IMPLIED CLAIMS TO THE VALIDITY OF THIS INFORMATION.
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ISSUE

NOTE: The tables in the document will not make sense unless you use the
following parameters.
- Left Justification
- Courier 10
- 5 character margin on each side.

Performance Benchmarks

Product Description
The NetWare MultiProtocol Router and NetWare MultiProtocol Router Plus
products are software based routers and source route bridges that run on
80386, 80486, and Pentium-based Pcs.  These routers enable you to build global
internetworks using the familiar NetWare" operating system and standard PC
technology.  These router products have the same routing capabilities as the
previous release (concurrent routing of IPX, IP, AppleTalk, and OSI over the
same interface).  Both router products also have a new capability to
concurrently bridge (over source route bridged token ring networks) any
protocol that is not configured to be routed, including IPX, IP, IBM, SNA, and
IBM NetBIOS. In addition, NetWare MultiProtocol Router Plus provides wide area
routing and source route bridging over synchronous PPP and X.25 networks.  The
NetWare MultiProtocol Router products enable you to build bridge/router
configurations that minimize cost, maximize performance, and optimize
applications.

Performance Considerations
In evaluating the performance of the NetWare router software, you should
consider a number of factors; performance is more than just a frame per second
(fps) measurement.  Although Novell's performance recommendations include fps
rates, this guide also provides helpful hints on optimizing a router
configuration to meet your internetworking requirements for maximizing
connectivity and throughput.  

The factors that affect router performance include the following:
   Data frame sizes and data throughput requirements
   Client and server configuration
   RAM, hard disk, and controller requirements
   PC bus type and speed
   CPU type
   Network interface boards 

Data Frame Size and Data Throughput Requirements
Most performance benchmarks provide measurements for 64-byte frames. However,
most network traffic has a frame size of at least 512 bytes, and frame sizes
can reach up to 1,518 bytes (Ethernet) or 17,900 bytes (16 Mbps token ring). 
To determine which frame sizes you transmit on your networks, use the
following guidelines:

1.  Look at the frame size transmitted by your applications. Setups and
acknowledgments are usually 64-byte frames, whereas data frames are usually
512-byte frames or larger.

2.  Look at the protocols you are using. IPX, for example, has 560-byte data
frames and AppleTalk has a maximum frame length of 603 bytes.

3.  Look at the LAN types you are transmitting across. Ethernet, token ring,
ARCnet, LocalTalk, and FDDI all have different maximum frame length
requirements.


Self-Extracting File Name:  MPRPER.EXE     Revision:  A

Files Included     Size     Date      Time

\
  MPRPER.TXT         (This File)
  MPRPER.DOC      40395   09-23-94   11:44a


History:

MPRPER supersedes PERFOR.TXT

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