Investigation of Performance Impact of 802.3ad and Round-Robin Bonding Modes Under Different MTU Configurations

Authors : Tuğçe Demirdelen, Sefa Kırmızı

Pages : 473-484

Doi:10.21605/cukurovaumfd.1664553

View : 76 | Download : 27

Publication Date : 2025-07-02

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :MTU size plays a crucial role in performance, where larger MTUs reduce protocol overhead and CPU load but may cause fragmentation and latency in heterogeneous networks. This study evaluates the performance of 802.3ad and Round-Robin bonding under varying MTU values (450–9200 bytes) across single and parallel stream tests. CPU core utilization and throughput metrics were analyzed to assess efficiency in multi-core systems. Results show that although Round-Robin achieves higher peak throughput in parallel streams, it leads to significant CPU imbalance and potential instability. In contrast, 802.3ad ensures better CPU load distribution and consistent throughput, making it more suitable for long-term, high-performance environments. The study highlights the need for MTU-aware, CPU-efficient bonding strategies in modern, latency-sensitive network designs.
Keywords : Link Aggregation, 802.3ad, Round-Robin, MTU Optimization, Network Performance, Throughput, CPU Utilization, LACP, Bonding Modes, SDN, Jumbo Frames, High-Performance, Networking

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