Latency, port-to-port
Quick definition
Port-to-port latency (or port latency) refers to the time it takes for data to travel from one network port to another within a networking device, or between different devices. In the context of financial trading infrastructure, this is typically used to express the latency of a network switch or a more conservative estimate of the internal latency of a trading participant.
What is Latency, port-to-port?
Network switch manufacturers often publish port-to-port latencies. However, these figures may not always be exact. Several factors can influence these latency measurements, including:
- Traffic rate: The amount of data being transmitted can affect how quickly packets are processed.
- Packet sizes: A higher rate of small packets will usually result in higher port-to-port latency than a lower rate of large packets at the same throughput.
- Configurable switch features: Options such as forward error correction (FEC), the choice between store-and-forward versus cut-through switching, and features like Algo Boost (found on Cisco Nexus switches) can also impact latency.
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