RE: [PATCH net-next v2] tcp: Ensure DCTCP reacts to losses

[Tilmans, Olivier (Nokia - BE/Antwerp)]

+AD4- DCTCP is meant to be used in environments where the switches/routers do
+AD4- ECN marking, so it is not surprising that it performs badly when used in
+AD4- environments where it was not meant to be used. Has anyone measured the
+AD4- effect of this changed when DCTCP is used in environments where all the
+AD4- switches/routers do ECN marking? My concern is that we could end up
+AD4- hurting performance when DCTCP is used how it was meant to be used in
+AD4- order to protect incorrect uses of DCTCP.

The results reported are indeed from a non-optimal setting, and mostly to
show that it was ignoring losses. In practice, we only use DCTCP on 
ECN-enabled AQMs, and rarely see the loss reaction (e.g., a burst of new flows
IW that congest the ToR switch, in which case I'd argue the behavior is
beneficial). I cannot estimate the impact on FB's workloads though.

I had originally put a module parameter to make this loss reaction behavior
optional, mostly to enable people to check first whether it was safe to use 
with their configuration. In hindsight, I should have waited a bit more
before submitting the v2 with its removal as requested.


Olivier