> On Nov 29, 2018, at 11:02 AM, Templin (US), Fred L 
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> If you are referring to iperf3, that is exactly what it does (uses 
> fragmentation
> to generate a high data rate), but I would not call it "artificial" - 
> fragmentation
> is a real Internet service.

But iperf3 is a test/diagnostic tool, not a "real" internet application. The 
reason for bringing up NFS is that it was, at least at one time, a real service 
that was widely used in real networks, and breaking it would have been a real 
operational problem. Even for that, since fragmentation would likely occur at 
the originating host (as in IPv6), apart from tunnels or links that reduced the 
PMTU, the issue would have been between the endpoints and any middleware en 
route, and since NFS didn't cross network boundaries, it would be unusual to 
find firewalls in the path.

For NFSv4, RFC 5661 requires the use of TCP, SCTP, or "whatever is recommended 
at the time", which could perhaps refer to QUIC today, and discourages the use 
of UDP. It also refers to RDMA etc.

I frankly don't see what "observing the demonstrable and measurable fact that 
there are issues with Internet Fragmentation and Reassembly" hurts. The paper 
doesn't recommend that the service be deprecated or removed. It does, however, 
suggest that applications and transports not depend on Internet fragmentation 
and reassembly; applications above the IP layer that need packets smaller than 
the relevant PMTU should find a way (such as by using TCP) to avoid it. I don't 
see how iperf3, or for that matter any application, is harmed by that.

I think that what we really need to understand is what measurable harm this 
comment and recommendation causes. Maybe you could start your reply with that 
issue?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fact that there is a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven is an 
interesting comment on projected traffic volume...

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