tcp: Align cubic cc with rfc9438

[rscheff]

Summary

Patch of the cubic congestion control module, provided by
Bhaskar Pardeshi of VMware, Inc.

The primary motivation was to make the performance of cubic_cc
align more closely with the newreno_cc when the RTT is very low.

1. Renamed a few cubic state variables to the variable names found in the RFC 8312bis specification. I thought it makes the code more understandable for the person reading the RFC and the code. It also makes the variable naming convention more uniform.

Note: This aspect was already committed by D40436

2. Updated "cubic_k" with the new formula as mentioned in the RFC. The new formula additionally uses "cwnd_epoch" for calculating K.

3. The major change this patch does is to update the Reno-friendly estimate calculation in the Congestion Avoidance stage. The new formula mentioned in the RFC is used to do this. Updated the "tf_cwnd" function to reflect this formula and introduced a new constant "alpha". Most of the code change is because of the change in the Reno-friendly estimate. Most of the new variables are added because of this only.

4. After a 3-dupack / ECN-Echo congestion event, the ssthresh was earlier being updated using the current max congestion window value. However, as per RFC 8312bis spec, I have updated the code to use the in-flight data size to update ssthresh.

5. This patch also resolves a bug in the usage of CUBICFLAG_CONG_EVENT flag. In RTO_ERR case, this flag was being cleared without even checking if there was any other congestion event way before the previous RTO event. I partially reverted the upstream FreeBSD CUBIC change which introduced this flag. Instead of a flag, we are now using a counter to remember the number of congestion events. I guess this flag was introduced in this change - https://reviews.freebsd.org/D23655. I have not removed the flag definition though.

6. Also, I have updated the code to collect the "epoch" variables (t_epoch, cwnd_epoch, W_est) at a single place (in cubic_ack_received()) rather than collecting them in cubic_cong_signal(). This makes it easier to reset the epoch from multiple places, without using special flags.

7. Currently, in the CUBIC concave/convex region the cwnd was being set to w_cubic_next directly. However, the RFC mentioned that we MUST increase the window by (target - cwnd) / cwnd only. As a matter of fact, this was mentioned in the old RFCs and drafts too. I have updated the code to increase the window only by (target - cwnd) / cwnd only.

ToDo: Rename references to draft 8312bis to the final RFC 9438.

[cc]

Thanks for having a plan to sync-up with rfc9438, which is released recently in Aug 2023 and obsoletes rfc8312.

[rscheff]

In D41715#950701, @cc wrote:

Thanks for having a plan to sync-up with rfc9438, which is released recently in Aug 2023 and obsoletes rfc8312.

The jump is from pre-8312 to rfc9438. I will roll at least one update with all the comments changing from 8312bis-draft-15 to rfc9438, but really some regression / performance testing of this patch would be needed. Maybe some servers can run this as patches cc_cubic and statistical data collected (Lawrence may be delighted too ... )

[cc]

In D41715#952053, @rscheff wrote:

In D41715#950701, @cc wrote:

Thanks for having a plan to sync-up with rfc9438, which is released recently in Aug 2023 and obsoletes rfc8312.

The jump is from pre-8312 to rfc9438. I will roll at least one update with all the comments changing from 8312bis-draft-15 to rfc9438, but really some regression / performance testing of this patch would be needed. Maybe some servers can run this as patches cc_cubic and statistical data collected (Lawrence may be delighted too ... )

Understood. The 8312bis-draft-15 is shaped/finalized into rfc9438 with no changes in formulas. I will help with some emulation tests.

[rscheff]

• update comments from draft-8312bis-15 to RFC9438

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

228

CUBIC_SHIFT == 8: means (2 * CUBIC_SHIFT) ==16

Why double CUBIC_SHIFT left shift here?

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

335

The "target" window unit is bytes, then there shouldn't be an extra multiply of "CCV(ccv, t_maxseg)".

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

328

Rename the variable "west" to "W_est".

Also the Figure 4 in RFC 9438 equals below if we use the "bytes_acked" and "cwnd" unit in bytes. There is no need of "smss" in the calculation.

(Figure 4): W_est = W_est + Alpha_cubic * bytes_acked / cwnd

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

291–326

Better use UINT_MAX, instead of INT_MAX.

337

Better use UINT_MAX, instead of INT_MAX.

464–465

I think for some clarity of the two CC_NDUPACK and CC_ECN cases, we can rework cubic_ssthresh_update(), and rename it to cubic_get_ssthresh() like below and explicitly update CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh).

like this:

if (!IN_CONGRECOVERY(CCV(ccv, t_flags))) {
        ssthresh = cubic_get_ssthresh(ccv, mss);
        CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh) = max(ssthresh, 2 * maxseg);
...
}

482–485

There is a redundant pipe calculation where cubic_ssthresh_update() already did it. If use the new cubic_get_ssthresh() mentioned above, then, these three lines can be reworked to:

if (!IN_CONGRECOVERY(CCV(ccv, t_flags))) {
        ssthresh = cubic_get_ssthresh(ccv, mss);
        CCV(ccv, snd_cwnd) = ulmax(ssthresh, CCV(ccv, t_maxseg));
        CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh) = max(ssthresh, 2 * maxseg);
...
}

674

May rework this cubic_ssthresh_update() function like below, for better clarity.

static uint32_t
cubic_get_ssthresh(struct cc_var *ccv, uint32_t maxseg) {
...
        return (pipe * CUBIC_BETA) >> CUBIC_SHIFT;
}

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

510–511

According to RFC9438 Section 4.8, CUBIC follows Reno to reduce cwnd [RFC5681] but sets ssthresh using βcubic (same as in Section 4.6), so here snd_ssthresh should be updated as:

	ssthresh = (cubic_compute_pipe(ccv) * CUBIC_BETA) >> CUBIC_SHIFT;
        CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh) = max(ssthresh, 2 * mss);
}

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

304

According to rfc9438 section 4.10. Slow Start, K is set to 0 when exiting the first slow start without incurring any packet loss (W_max is undefined).

313

According to RFC9438 Section 4.8 Timeout, W_est SHOULD be set to the congestion window size at the beginning of the current congestion avoidance stage. So the code branch shall be like this:

if (cubic_data->flags & CUBICFLAG_RTO_EVENT) {
        cubic_data->flags &= ~CUBICFLAG_RTO_EVENT;
        W_est = CCV(ccv, snd_cwnd);
        cubic_data->W_max = cubic_data->W_est = W_est;
        cubic_data->K = 0;
} else {
        usecs_since_epoch = (ticks - cubic_data->t_epoch) * tick;
...
        W_est = cubic_data->W_est = tf_cwnd(...);
}

505–507

Missing both "undo_ssthresh" and "undo_cwnd" variables, and their value assignments.

But I wonder this is the place that differs from the RFC9438 Section 4.9 Spurious Congestion Events, where these "undo_*" variables are used for Spurious Fast Retransmits (section 4.9.2.) and only if "cwnd < cwnd_prior".

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

228

CUBIC_SHIFT == 8: means (2 * CUBIC_SHIFT) ==16

Why double CUBIC_SHIFT left shift here?

On a second understanding, the old ONE_SUB_CUBIC_BETA (which contains 8bits left shift) is removed in the new formula. Therefore, adding the 8bits left shift makes sense now.

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

202

Rename the variable "west" to "W_est".

Assuming the "cwnd" has a unit of byte, then the "smss" variable is no longer needed as in Figure 4.
(Figure 4): W_est = W_est + Alpha_cubic * bytes_acked / cwnd

[cc]

Please consider resolving the problems in my comments.

[rscheff]

• update comments from draft-8312bis-15 to RFC9438
• address review comments

[rscheff]

With the exception of the RTO rollback, I believe I addressed all your comments; Thanks for double-checking the provided patches against RFC9438. Since there are a few logic differences and obviously the changes in the calculations, proper operation should be validated in a test bed before the commit.

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

304

That section in 4.10 talks about the interaction with hystart++, when existing without loss; the base stack doesn't do hystart++, and exists slow start only after loss or ECN mark - with a defined cwnd at that moment of a congestion signal.

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

304

I meant "K is set to 0 when CUBIC uses HyStart++ and when it exits the first slow start without incurring any packet loss". But I may tell the difference after some emulation tests.

466

Sorry for the confusion. I meant to use "mss". So this line should be:

	CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh) = ulmax(ssthresh, 2 * mss);

483–484

Sorry for the confusion. I meant to use "mss". So these two lines should be:

	CCV(ccv, snd_ssthresh) = ulmax(ssthresh, 2 * mss);
	CCV(ccv, snd_cwnd) = ulmax(ssthresh, mss);

510–511

I prefer to stick with the two lines code for better readability. Will this single line benefit performance?

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

202

I meant to remove the "smss" variable. Because:

(Figure 4): W_est = W_est + Alpha_cubic * segments_acked / cwnd_in_segs == W_est + Alpha_cubic * bytes_acked / cwnd_in_bytes

328

I meant to remove the "smss" variable. Because:

(Figure 4): W_est = W_est + Alpha_cubic * segments_acked / cwnd_in_segs == W_est + Alpha_cubic * bytes_acked / cwnd_in_bytes

[rscheff]

• fix seg/byte calculation, use precomputed mss in more places

[rscheff]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.c

505–507

the tp->ssthresh_prev are unrolled in the generic CC_RTO_ERR handling, before the CC specific callout is done...
Also, while FBSD emits DSACK when duplicate data segments are received, that information is currently not processed on receipt - so there is no spurious fast retransmit detection yet. (section 4.9.2 doesn't apply).

[rscheff]

• rebase to main

[rscheff]

• rebase to main

[rscheff]

• rebase main

[cc]

Start to pick up slowly about where I left, and touch the water. :)

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

321

I think this input variable unsigned long smss is no longer needed.

sys/netinet/tcp_input.c

482–485 ↗

(On Diff #134557)

Can we make this file's change into a separate patch? It does not look to be related with the CUBIC algorithm. Am I right?

[rscheff]

• rebase to main

[rscheff]

• remove unused variable

[cc]

sys/netinet/cc/cc_cubic.h

192

This input variable unsigned long smss should be removed.

321

I think this input variable unsigned long smss is no longer needed.

I didn't see this input variable unsigned long smss being removed.

[cc]

I started to draft the results into wiki pages from testing this patch. Please let me know any metrics you would like to see.

testD41715

testTCPCCinVM